Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors
by Stone-Man85
Summary: A story that goes far in Time, but lives on in hearts. A story about a boy... who journeys into a world... long forgotten but heard of in mere stories.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Mononoke, Naussica, Porco Rosso, Castle in the Sky, nor Howl's Moving Castle, or any of those titles you might find in this story. They're all the sole property of Hayao Miyazaki, and Studio Ghibli. Original Characters are of my own design.**

**Also, this story is dedicated to N'jata, author of A Legend of the Past, a Savior of the Future. Hope to see that update soon. **

_In ancient times… the land lay covered in forests, _

_Where, from ages long past, dwelt the Spirits of the Gods. _

_Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, _

_But as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed. _

_A thousand years have passed since the collapse of the forest. Near the North and South, a toxic jungle began to spread, threatening the survival of the human race for those who entered it._

_The remnance of humanity that did survive, began to rebuild, creating machines that would allow them to fly and technology beyond anything they'd ever see. _

_But Technology wasn't the only power; for those had learned to harness magic and build governments of them._

_The forests that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiances to the Great Forest Spirits, _

…_for those were the days of gods… and of demons. _

_This… is the story of one boy… who journeys and explores this wondrous past forgotten in time. As well as the adventure of a lifetime… that would expand for eternity and beyond. And change his time forever…._

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**


	2. The Boy from the Future

**Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Mononoke, Naussica, Porco Rosso, Castle in the Sky, nor Howl's Moving Castle, or any of those titles you might find in this story. They're all the sole property of Hayao Miyazaki, and Studio Ghibli. Original Characters are of my own design.**

**Also I must point out once again, this story is dedicated to N'jata, author of A Legend of the Past, a Savior of the Future. Hope to see that update soon. **

* * *

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Boy from the Future; Tales of Old**

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Suburban District**

**Tokyo International Airport**

* * *

By the time the first plane arrived at the Tokyo International Airport, it was well past morning back in America, so everything was pretty much dark where the passengers were at the moment. One of the passengers, a young teenaged boy, standing next to a twelve-year-old girl, stretched out his arms, yawned and continued towards the customs line.

The boy appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, Caucasian, but his skin was slightly tanned. His frame was a slim yet muscular build; the body of a surfer/swimmer. His short yet shaggy hair was messy and tussled up; the look for a young surfer indeed. He wore a red T-shirt with a strange glyph resembling a boar of sorts with orange trim, blue jeans with the knee sections torn, and a leather jacket tied around his waist, along with black steel tipped Navy combat boot shoes. He also had on around his neck a surfer's pendant made of carved beads along with an unidentified pendant, a silver ring on his left finger, and on his left ear, two silver ring piercing.

Standing next to him, looking very anxious was a young thirteen year old girl with short strawberry red hair that was almost cut in a boy's hairstyle. She had the same color eyes that he had and her skin was a little lighter color than his. She was wearing a yellow hoodie T-Shirt, and baggy jean shorts with white sneakers. On her shoulder was a gym bag of sorts as she traveled with the older teenager.

The boy looked around, trying to find someone in the crowd that continued to nearly try to run them over. The boy narrowed his eyes as best he could, but finding this person was no avail whatsoever. Because the airport was so crowded, moving around the place for the two proved to be more difficult than either one had expected.

The girl looked to the older teen, with a worried look on her face as she pleaded, "Alex, we should stay at the gate," but the older teen didn't flinch one bit as he kept moving, but kept close to her as she insisted, "C'mon, Alex. Please, let's just turn back."

Alex sighed as he turned to look at his sister with a stern and stubborn face, "Believe me, Kari, I want to stay back there and wait to," and then turned to the front as his face squinted as he grumbled, "but you know how Dad is when it comes to huge and overcrowded places like this."

Kari thought about it, and then comically grimaced as she sweat dropped, "Oh yeah. I remember he got lost once in his own hospital."

"Hopefully… this time… he'll use a sign with our name on it," Alex stated as he stopped and crossed his arms. But then he grimaced as he groaned, "Though if I know him, he'll probably make it as flashy and eye-catching as he always does."

"I really hope Daddy keeps it simple," Kari gently whined on as she held her bag, "I mean, we got transferred here in Japan so we could move in with Grandma and our cousin Anju."

The two stood there, standing like stone pillars in the middle of the rapid moving streaming masses. Alex looked around calmly, but inside his head, he was screaming, 'WE'RE TOTALLY SCREWED! THAT DORK OF A DAD DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO TELL ME WHEN HE'D BE HERE!' he groaned as he rubbed his sore head, 'This is just like the time we got lost in Queens during our vacation.'

Just then, a man in his thirties or forties, shouted out, "SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

Both Alex and Kari looked surprised by that outburst, as they looked to each other in confusion. Then they turned around, hearing the loud voice coming from right behind them. Suddenly, a man in his forties, was plowing through the crowd at high speed, throwing everyone in front of him away or in the sky comically. He ran towards them, shouting, "ALEX! KARI! I WAS LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU TWO! WHERE WERE YO…."

Suddenly, as the man was only six inches away from him, a foot connected to the front of his face. It was Alex's foot as he had kicked the man charging at them. The man slumped to the ground, groaning as blood trickled down out of his nose, "Sooon… why'd you have to kick your old man in the face?"

"Because you're acting like a complete goofball," Alex groaned, "as usual…"

The man, now recognized as Alex's and Kari's dad, was a man in his forties, Caucasian and tanned. He stood around 6'1" feet tall, adding to his black hair that stuck up a little. He had a stubble on his face, with brown eyes, and a goofy grin on his well-fit face. He was actually physically fit for someone his age; he was thin but well-built, indicating he exercised to keep himself in shape. He wore a black button T-shirt, halfway buttoned up, that it exposed his collar bone, blue jeans, white hospital work shoes, and a doctor's lab coat, befitting the doctor image he had.

Their dad rubbed his face a bit, and then looked to Kari as he lit up once more, "KARI! MY LITTLE ANGEL!"

Blushing a bit from that, Kari shied away behind Alex as she waved, "Uh… hi, Daddy."

And then, causing a scene, their dad put his hands behind his head as he looked up, balling like a crazy man, "NGAAAAAAAAH! Even my own daughter's ashamed to be near me!" he then hung his head down, weeping, "Oh, my wife in heaven. Ever since you passed away, our own kids have treated me so harshly."

"It's only because you act so goofy when you're around us," Alex half-smirked and sweat dropped at this scene, "Though I'd wish you'd try to be a little normal."

He then shot up, completely unfazed by his crying and looked proud of himself. He then crossed his arms and blew out his nose, with steam coming out as he shouted triumphantly, "NEVER BE NORMAL!" and then gave his kids a thumbs up as he winked with a sparkle in his eye, "That's what makes me so cool… BRAVO!"

His kids just sighed, hanging their heads in exhaustion at their father's sudden attitude change. Kari couldn't help but blush at her dad as she giggled silently, "Oh, Daddy."

But then their father looked at them confused as he asked, "By the way… how's your Japanese, you two?"

Kari smiled as she nodded, "Doing great," and pointed to Alex as she replied, "Alex's been teaching me ever since we left Grandma's place in Florida."

"Aha!" their dad smirked as he winked to his son, "That's my boy!"

Alex looked embarrassed as he simply replied, "Well… you can't spend two years in high school without taking a subject worth interest in."

Their dad laughed a little as he smirked, "Well, let's get going," and took Kari's bag as he led them out towards the main doors, "I'm pretty sure you kids'll be wanting to go to our new home and get some rest until you're all settled into your school."

* * *

**Later On**

**Tokyo Suburban District**

**Killian Clinic**

* * *

A few hours later, driving in only a rather beat up looking jeep was driving down the suburban streets. In the driver's seat was Dr. Killian, Alex and Kari's dad, and in the passengers seats were none other than Alex, and a sleeping Kari. As soon as the car had turned a corner, they had reached their destination; the Killian Clinic.

The clinic looked like a combination between a warehouse and a gas station. In truth, the place had been purchased only a few months ago by Mr. Killian, but it was a town hospital all the same before it was purchased. Next to it, only a hill upward, was a shrine temple of sorts, with trees and plants growing in and all around it. And when they pulled into the driveway of the clinic, Alex could notice a giant tree in the distance within the temple.

The car pulled in and Mr. Killian got out as he smirked, "Alright, grab your bags and come on out," he then pointed to the clinic, "Our home's in the back," and with that, he led the way.

As they followed their dad, Alex turned around to take a good long look at the jeep they came in. The jeep was an old model. which model that was, no one could tell. The exterior was covered in dirt and large blotches of rust which practically hid the flat green colored paint that had badly faded over the years. The left head light was cracked as was a small section of the windshield.

Alex looked at the old vehicle and then back at his dad, "I still can't believe that's your car."

"Yeah," Mr. Killian replied quickly with a smirk, "It was the only one I could afford; it may be old but it puts out. You weren't expecting anything fancy, were you?"

Alex just shrugged, "Not really. I Just thought you drove something a little more...... Presentable," He gave Ryo a small grin, "I mean you are a doctor."

Good point, Mr. Killian said, opening the gate door," but when you work in the real world like I do, being presentable isn't really the top priority."

As soon as the kids had gotten their bags, they had followed their dad to the side of the clinic. There, a wooden gate fence was set up; Mr. Killian opened the gate door as he continued to lead the way for the kids. As soon as they got to the back of the clinic, they found that there was a house behind the building their dad had bought. It looked like a plain old two story Japanese family home. However, the grass was dried out, the trees looked pretty old; in plain bluntness, the garden and plants were either dried out or dying. Obviously Mr. Killian wasn't that good of a Green Thumb, only good at saving human lives.

Kari looked around the place, and voice her opinion about the garden, "This place really needs a gardener."

"Heh, yeah. I guess you'd be right about that," her dad chuckled as they made it to the front door. He unlocked the door and opened it, inviting his kids inside, "Well, kids. After a long wait at your grandparents home, and a long flight… welcome to our new home."

Their dad flicked the lights on, and they saw that the inside was just as cozy as it was on the outside. Their dad pointed out, "the bedrooms are all upstairs," he looked to Kari as he pointed to the left, "Kari, your rooms on the left side next to mine," and then he pointed to the right, "Alex, your room's on the right, next to the bathroom and facing the temple."

Alex grimaced as he sarcastically remarked, "Oh great. I was hoping I would get the room with a view of a creepy temple and tree."

Mr. Killian smirked at this as he crossed his arms as he smirked to his kids, "Well… if you get done packing… " he then winked as he smirked, "… I'll call over your aunt Jun. she and your cousin, Anju, will come over and tell you the story of the Great Shisha Gami."

* * *

**Later that Night**

* * *

Alex, Kari, and their dad were sitting comfortably in the living room, with a tea set placed on the coffee table in the middle of the couch circle in the center of the room. But they weren't alone as they were accompanied in the room by two ladies. The first lady was a woman around her thirties, Asian descent with long brown hair tied in a Japanese style ponytail, brown eyes, a slim and slender figure for a woman her age, and dressed in a kimono with a Sakura Flower Petal design on it. This was Jun Kanzaki, the aunt of the Killian siblings, and Mr. Killian's sister-in-law.

The other girl, being hugged by Kari in an affectionate manner, was Anju, Jun's daughter. She was a girl around fourteen, slim and slender, very pale skin, with long black hair tied in a spiky ponytail with the split ends dyed purple, and wearing Gothic Lolita clothing of sorts.

It was then that Alex sighed, leaned forward as he asked, "So, Aunt Jun… what's the story on that huge tree in the temple?"

Jun smiled at her nephew's curiosity as she cleared her throat, and smiled, "Indeed I do, young Alex," As the priestess of the temple, to which the two siblings had found out when their aunt had arrived in a hugging reunion, she had known of the various history of the temple and it's construction.

She then began her story, "The tree is the last remnance of the Ancient Times," and then looked seriously spooky, almost as if a flashlight shined under her chin, "… the Ancient Times of the Gods." catching both Alex's and Kari's attention, and seeing them a little interested, she continued, "Where you see a neighborhood and the grand city of Tokyo, this land laid covered in untouched and unspoiled forest. And within them, dwelt one of the Gods, Shisha-Gami; the Spirit of the Forest."

"Spirit of the Forest?" Kari asked as she pulled away from the quiet Anju.

"Yes, little Kari," Jun continued with her story, "Back then, Man and Beast lived in harmony, within the forests. But Man was born with a hole in his heart that no power or possession could ever fill. But within the hole burned a fire of pure avarice that consumed them… and caused them to expand their empire, nearly destroying the forests."

"Sounds like Wal-Mart on the rampage in hostile takeovers," Alex quirked out.

Ignoring her nephew's joke, Jun continued with the story, "With nearly all the forests destroyed, the Spirits of the Forest scattered all over the known and unknown regions of the world. The forests that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts, some being wolves, apes, or even wild boars, who owed their allegiance to the Great Forest Spirits. But when Shisha-Gami, the King of the Spirits of the Forests was slain by Man, the forests began to die. From then on, Man had expanded his territory, not knowing it then or now, but slowly and surely, killing the world."

It was then there was a great silence in the room, allowing this story to sink in to the family. Usually sad or unpleasant news in a story was hardly the last thing anyone would want to hear as a bedtime story at this point. Even Alex, the one who had been listening, took this all in his head, being the one to hold on to something long, but having the rational side of his brain responded to all this as just some fairy tale.

"So what you're saying or what _you_ believe in," Alex suddenly cut in breaking the silence, "… is that the real reason the forests of Japan, or the entire world today, are all disappearing is primarily due to the death of this forest spirit called Shisha-Gami? His face was covered with a wide faced smirk, not believing in such credulous fairy tales, "C'mon, Aunt Jun."

The Priestess of the family took a sip of tea from a cup that she had on her, "So I guess you don't take me seriously then with the story?"

"Aunt Jun, I stopped believing in that sort of mystical mumbo-jumbo around the same time I learned that the Tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Clause were just my parents slipping me the goods when I wasn't looking."

"And I played such a good Santa," Mr. Killian moped about as his head was hung in disappointment, and then cried out insanely, "AND YOU WERE ONLY SEVEN WHEN YOU FOUND OUT!"

Everyone just sweat dropped at his outburst, but then, surprisingly, speaking in a deadpanned voice, Anju replied, "Why is it so hard to believe something like this?" she then replied while looking at her cousin with a small grin, "If you think about it very carefully, it's really not that hard to link that legend to the reality of the world's current situation."

It was then that the room was slightly quiet at that piece of information. The world had slowly but surely become a little distorted. Forests were nearly on the brink of extinction, all fossil fuels were becoming virtually exhausted, the oceans and waters were steadily becoming polluted. Even wildlife was disappearing, which it all started when the bees began to vanish without any explanation. Then it was found out that later in the next few decades, the Ozone layer would drop to 40 percent. And in two to six decades… the world would be unable to support human life.

"Aunt Jun.…" Alex groaned, still not interested in this fiction, "Gods in the form of giant boars and wolves? A giant deer god with the face of a human that transforms into an even more giant monster at night?" he then shook his head on this, "Come on, this is on the same level as the Boogie Man."

For a while the whole family just sat, listening to the cicadas from outside and the chirping of the crickets. After she took the last bit of her tea, Jun wiped his face clean and started to speak once more, "Tell me, Alex… have you ever heard the legend of Princess Mononoke?"

Nathan paused, then looked at Ryo blankly. "Princess Mono-who?"

"Princess Mononoke," Anju repeated, "Princess of wild animals and beasts, daughter of the Wolf Goddess, Moro, and one of the guardian of the Forest. The legend says that as an infant, she was taken from her parents by the gods and raised among the pups of a sacred wolf clan. She grew up becoming stronger, faster, and more ferocious than any warrior known in the Emperor's army."

"Really?" Kari asked, lighting up at the fact that this Mononoke might've been a Japanese version of Wonder Woman. If there was one thing about Kari, is that she was a fan girl of strong women, "You mean like a combination between Tarzan, Romulous, Remous, Wonder Woman, and Xena?"

Now it was everyone else's turn to stare blankly… this time at Kari, as her father chuckled, "Yeah, I guess that's a way of describing her."

"Cool," Kari exclaimed leaning forward.

"Was she hot?" Alex asked, gaining a slight interest in this story at least. Now this time, they drew their stares at him now.

"Hot?" Aunt Jun asked in confusion, "I'm pretty sure that she had a normal body temperature."

"It's a different kind of hot," Alex continued. 

"You know," Anju butted in as she explained, "A soft face, silky hair, nice, thin waist.…" she then went as far as to bring both hands to her chest and mimicked them holding a pair of breasts, "Things like this and that."

Comically, Alex and Kari blushed from embarrassment of that idea, as well as Anju's forward attitude. Even their dad shot up as he comically pointed out, "ANJU! You should know better than to talk about things like that," and then gave himself a thumb's up as he smirked, "That kind of stuff "

"I wouldn't know, Alex," Jun answered with a slight trace of confusion, and ignoring Mr. Killian's comical outburst, "Legend has it, that whoever had the misfortune of meeting her would end up dead."

"She killed them?" Kari asked, feeling a little afraid at that as she pulled her knees close to her.

"Supposedly," Jun continued, trying not to scare Kari, but saw an honest interest in Alex, "But those who managed to see her and live said that she was like the blade of a knife. Beautiful and haunting, but also so cold." She then looked up at Alex who seemed to be transfixed on her every word.

Alex raised an eyebrow at seeing his aunt look at him like that. He then asked, drawing back a little, "Something wrong?"

"You're certainly taking an interest in this for someone who doesn't believe in legends or myths," Aunt Jun teased.

The teen boy grinned, "Well, It all depends on what the legend's about."

"I think he's got a crush on the Princess," Kari teased, earning a small chuckle from her aunt, and a full-hearty laugh from his dad.

Alex shot up, his cheeks blushing like crazy to his ears, as he protested, "N-N0! THAT'S NOT IT!" he turned away as he muttered, "I just like a good story that's all."

"Don't you mean a good story girl?" Mr. Killian teased, leaning in towards his son. However, he didn't expect a powerful sucker punch from his son to the jaw. He was knocked out powerfully as he began to slowly fall to the floor, groaning, "Ooooooooo… sneak attaaaaack…." and fell face forward to the floor, knocked out cold.

Kari teased some more as she stated, "Oh come on, Alex. It's not unusual for you to fall for an imaginary girl," she looked to Aunt Jun and Anju as the latter was taking a tea cup to drink some more, "Remember that time when we watched the Little Mermaid as kids? You had such a crush on the main character, Ariel, that…"

"DWAGH!" Alex jumped towards her, only to land face first in the couch she was sitting on. He then popped up, blushing madly as he denied the obvious, "That's a freakin' lie and you know it! I was just admiring how amazing the artwork in the animation was! Nothing more!"

She turned away and teased some more, and brought her right index finger to her chin as she bashfully smiled, "Oh, I know what you were admiring…." and then gave Alex an all-knowing romancer smile, "… and it wasn't the artwork."

Alex fell over, blushing all over his face as he fell to the floor in defeat on this. Kari and Aunt Jun looked to each other as they took in the ridiculous outburst that Alex had gone through… and finally laughed themselves silly.

Anju just took a sip of her own tea cup as she muttered, "They're all idiots."

* * *

However, as the laughter was going on, something else was happening outside. At Jun's temple, it was far from being quiet; the warm winds blew through the branches of the ancient trees that rested in its grounds. Most people back in Florida, where the Killians lived, would probably be wetting their pants, thinking about the forests in the movie, the Blair Witch Project. Near the temple, in the center to where the mighty tree of the past stood, the moon's light shined upon it.

It was truly a beauty to behold, but only when the moon shined on it. When the moon's light touched it… for only a small second… a strange rattling sound was heard.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Tree of Ancient Times; Journey to Paradise**


	3. Tree of Ancient Times

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Tree of Ancient Times; Journey to Paradise**

* * *

_It was an ancient forest that stretched on for miles. Such untouched and unspoiled beauty lay before anyone who laid their eyes on it. It was almost as if Man had never set foot un such a beautiful place. _

_Then suddenly, it was set ablaze; the trees burning uncontrollably going from brown bark to scorched charcoal black. The vines and leaves torched and dying off one by one. The rivers that traversed in the forest became blackened into an ooze of sorts resembling toxic waste mixed with oil. Smoke filled the forest, suffocating anyone nearby. Truly, this once glorious paradise had become a desolate graveyard._

_But… it was not uninhabited as it seemed… for there was someone… or something in the middle of the wildfire._

_On a rock in the middle of the burning forest, stood a young man, like a statue of obsidian stone, his every feature twisted and mangled as though he were the living incarnation of evil itself. His two black and yellow demonic eyes, feral and cruel, burned like orbs of molten iron, wreathed in flame and hate. Blood, sizzling like acid and reeking of decay, drenched his living fur and horned armored form, splashed in jagged patterns on his golden brown and black form. _

_The forest of fire and ash surrounded him, rising furiously from a crimson sea. The smells of death lingered in the air like a poisonous fume, accompanied by the endless screams of the tormented. An unholy chorus of agony and anguish. A cry that sounded more animal than human… powerful, filled with rage… and inhumanly vicious._

* * *

Alex bolted right up from his bed, with cold beads of sweat padding on him. He was breathing heavily until he started to take slower breaths and took a sigh to calm his breathing. He was in his room sleeping; it was night and everyone got to bed after the move.

He got up from his bed and looked around his room; the boxes were stacked around from the move and haven't been unpacked yet. However, a few boxes were unpacked, and a few of his things were strewn over and around his desk. Placed on the side of it, was a skateboard that had a few Tony Hawke stickers on them. On the desk were a few other things, like photos of him and his family. The picture was him as a baby with his dad, and a woman with long red hair and starry green eyes. And from the looks of the photo, it was obvious that this was Alex and Kari's mother. The next photo showed him taking second place in a martial arts tournament, earning a red belt with three black stripes. That very same belt was placed on the desk next to that photo. The other photo was that of him and his sister, with their family still together.

He got out of his bed and walked towards a window in his room and looked at the night sky, overlooking the temple. Forgetting about how creepy the tree looked in the moonlight, Alex groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. At this point, he was trying to figure out the sense or meaning of that dream that he just had.

He sighed as he leaned on the window, "That was just weird. It looked like that scene from V for Vendetta."

"That dream didn't make any sense at all. So the question is… why did I even have it?" he asked himself as he brought his right hand on his forehead to wipe the sweat off as he still looked on. "And why am I even talking to myself," he grumbled, feeling like he had gone crazy.

Ever since he and his family moved here, weird things seemed to get stranger for some odd reason. He figured they were some sort of feedback from the trauma of something he ate here… or something a little more psychological. He shrugged, "Oh well, best thing to do is just ride them off," He went back to his bed, got under the covers and went back to sleep.

But near the tree outside, the sacred tree that was planted in the middle of the shrine stood there. And then as the moonlight shined upon it, the same rattling sound was heard. Then it became numerous all of a sudden; it was an entire choir of rattling that was heard throughout the night. And as the rattling continued, something amazing was happening to the tree. Slowly but surely, movement all over the tree; growing and movement all over the tree started to formulate all over it.

Whatever it was, something truly fantastic was happening to the shrine's most sacred and eldest tree ever.

* * *

**Later that Morning**

**Alex's Room**

* * *

Alex was still sound asleep in his bed, until something jumped on him with a tremendous force. He woke up with the wind knocked out of him as he heard a young female voice, "Wake up, Big Bro! Wake up, Wake up!"

He opened his eyes groggily and saw Kari, sitting next to him as she looked excited about something enough to jump on him in bed while he was still sleeping. She was wearing a pink 'Hello Kitty' sweat shirt and yellow sweatpants. The hyperactive nature of his sister was something of a charm and an annoyance to him at times; she was hyperactive but seemed polite enough to behave around adults. And one thing was true for sure; she loved her brother very much.

"C'mon Alex, wake up! Don't make me pour ice water on your head again like last time," she playfully threatened.

Alex got up right away, aware of the danger of what his sister had just said. He shouted, "Okay, okay, just get out of my room so I can get ready."

She playfully stuck her tongue out as she left and he slammed the door. He undressed and ran to his private bathroom to take a quick shower. He muttered to himself as he finished and got dressed, "Why does she have to be like that?" He finished dressing up and was wearing what he wore yesterday, including having the jacket tied around his waist.

As he finished, he exited his room, and saw his sister, dressed and ready for something. Seeing her happy like this, it raised a question as he asked, "So what's got you in such a chipper mood?"

She grabbed his hand as she began to pull him to the stairway, "It's outside, so come on," as they headed towards the stairs, she explained, "It's the temple tree… it's come back to life."

Alex raised an eyebrow as he heard that, "… say what… ?"

* * *

**Outside**

**Shrine Temple**

* * *

The two kids immediately ran outside, and headed straight towards the Temple. Well, Kari was the one doing the running, while holding onto Alex as she pulled him towards it. They made it towards the stairway and towards the Temple gates. As soon as they past it, it was Alex's turn to be extremely amazed.

He had seen the tree when he and Kari had first arrived, and it looked as dead as their backyard's plant life. But now… now it was teeming with life, and was born anew. But not only did it look more lively, it seemed to have grown larger and greener than before. The trunk had become as thick as a house, with hundreds of massive thick branches that stretched out in all directions, bending and twisting upward and down to the teens; like the tentacles of a cephalopod. The bright green leaves were so vast and bright that they blocked out the sun. vines grew on the branches and hung there, blossoming flowers of such exotic beauty, and moss grew on the bottom of the trunk. Only a few crisp beams of light were able to penetrate the thick shield of leaves, allowing the grass that surrounded the tree a small amount of illumination. The very sight of such a beautiful wonder left Alex a complete loss for words at this time.

After seeing her brother look at it in amazement, Kari smirked and giggled, "See? Told you it was amazing."

Alex shook his head, trying to snap out of his staring stupor, 'Okay, okay! This is not possible,' he told himself in his head, but now he just couldn't believe this as he spoke aloud, "How's… how's this even possible? I mean, the tree was practically dead when Dad pointed us out to it."

"I believe it was the work of the Forest Spirit."

The two turned around to see Aunt Jun, in her priestess outfit. She had come to do her daily routine of prayers, until she saw her nephew and niece out and about. To her surprise, she was amazed as well to see the Sacred Tree had come to life, and to grow so much. To her, it was like a miracle becoming true, or something out of a fairy tail. But to her, she knew it was more than that… it had to been the work and influence of the Great Forest Spirit, Shisha Gami.

"The Forest Spirit?" Kari asked, seemingly confused about something, "But I thought you said that the Forest Spirit was slain," and pointed to the tree, "So how's it possible for something or someone dead could have done this?"

Aunt Jun smiled as she shook her head, "Life and Death are never that simple, Kari," she pointed all around them as she stated, "Shisha Gami is the Life of the Forest itself. Even though he's gone, there are still spirits that it left behind to do his work," she then smiled brightly as she finished, "Though I think it might be a sign in that the Great Forest Spirit, Shisha Gami could be coming back someday. And with him, the promise in restoring the relationship with both Man and the Forest," and with this she walked away, as she stated, "I should go get your father. He might want to see this as well."

As soon as Jun had left, the kids had brought their attention back to the tree. Alex, being a slight skeptic on this, crossed his arms as he thought out loud, "Shisha Gami? Not that I don't believe in the idea," he then took a few steps towards the tree, unaware that the ground beneath him was slightly becoming a bit unstable.

"It's just that there might be other ideas that this tree could have blossomed," Alex assumed.

"Like what?" Kari asked, not liking on how her brother could be a major party pooper when it came to mystical fairy tales.

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, maybe some planters came by on a routine job and planted this here," the ground underneath his feet started to give way slowly as he went on not noticing this, "Heck, maybe it's a new fertiliz…" but then suddenly, the ground beneath him collapsed, swallowing him up like a giant mouth. Alex fell several meters down a slanted tunnel, rolling and twisting around, scraping and bumping against the roots of the tree. He finally reached the bottom with a thud, falling square on his stomach and face.

Kari, who watched the whole thing, looked down in worry as she went to the hole and shouted down, "ALEX! ALEX, ARE YOU OKAY? SAY SOMETHING!"

For several heartbeats he continued to lay there in a daze.

Kari didn't get a response from down the hole, not even a groan. Kari's eyes began to water, and her lower lip began to quiver in despair… until…

"Ugh! Sonova…" the teenager grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. He sat up and wiped away the dirt on his face.

Kari smiled in joy as she called down the hole, "Alex! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Alex mumbled as he looked up at the hole, "I'm a little sore but I'll be okay."

"DId you break anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Did you break your nose?"

"No."

"What about your legs, or your back?"

"No," Alex replied, starting to get a little annoyed at this point.

"Did you shit your pants?" Kari asked, pushing it further, "You know, they say you poop your pants if something breaks…"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Alex shouted out, getting a little more annoyed by this now, "I'm just a little sore after that fall," It was pitch black, so he had to feel around until he was finally able to find his way around. The only light that was present was the light shining from the tunnel hole. The tunnel had taken him into some sort of cave; it was probably been here for a very long time. He looked up and saw that the roof of the cave was high enough for him to stand. Clutching a root that was sticking out of the cave's wall, Alex slowly rose to his feet.

"Hey Kari," he screamed, looking up the tunnel he had fallen through.

"Uh, yeah?" Kari replied.

"Go get Dad or Aunt Jun," Alex calmly instructed, "They can help in getting me outta here. There's no danger down here; it's pretty much just dirt and roots."

"Okay, I'll go right away," Kari replied but replied, "Just stay put until I get back," and then sped off towards the clinic to where her dad would be at this point.

Alex grumbled as he sweat dropped, "Like I don't have anywhere else to go at this point."

However, Alex wasn't about to sit around and wait to be rescued. Twice he attempted climbing back the way he had fallen. Both met with utter failure. "Oh, Great!" he yelled to himself in the emptiness of the cave, "This is just freakin' great!" he sighed as his shoulders slumped in defeat, "Who was I thinking? Climbing out of here; you'd need a rope."

When he turned around, he saw that the cave was connected to another tunnel. The tunnel went in deeper just by the looks of it. Alex thought about it for a moment, scratching his chin in deep thought, 'Maybe … now just maybe… I'll find a way out through this'

Guiding himself along with only his hand feeling the walls, he was able to successfully maneuver through the narrow tunnel in the dirt. He noticed something very peculiar thought as he went down the tunnel: the deeper he went the denser the roots became. It was clear to him that he was heading towards the giant tree again, but possibly even deeper into the earth, considering how far the roots went.

Alex looked at this in amazement, "Sheesh. Just how deep do these roots go?" but then stopped as he looked at the roots' size and density, "And how big does this tree get?"

After a few more feet down and , the tunnel opened up into......

Alex stopped in his tracks as he came into the end of the tunnel's trail. It was like nothing Alex had ever seen before in his life; his eyes went wide with amazement and his jaw was left open in awe. Thousands upon thousands of roots lined the walls of what seemed to be an enormous chamber of some sort. The roots all seemed to merge at a central point in the chamber, forming around a large bulbous core. The core that the roots encompassed around appeared to be a bright green nucleus; the kind that you would find in a plant's cell. It was almost as if it were the tree's heart as Alex looked around the place.

He then deduced to himself aloud, "Actually, this whole chamber must be the tree's heart, just from the looks of it," but then he jumped as something happened… something that just started and only he could notice.

… there was light. The core or heart of the tree was _actually_ producing actual light!

Feeling brave enough or actually more curious than cautious at this point, Alex began to approach the glowing core and stopped when he was only just a single step away. Curious and without fear… he lifted his arm, and reached outwards the core. When his fingers were just inches from the cores surface, he stopped, his hand shaking. He bit his lip and let his hand touch the rough surface; it felt warm and made his skin tingle, and as he traced his fingers on it, he felt the core pulsate… something completely un-plant-like at all.

"This is so… unbearably amazing," he said quietly, barely making it into a whisper, and having a small smile appear on his face, "Who would've thought that something like this could ever have existed. And where we live now as well."

But the boy's smile at this amazing discovery was short-lived for what was about to happen next. Then, without warning, the core's yellowish green light turned to a blinding bright blue. At seeing this sudden change, Alex covered his eyes with his arm and quickly stepped away from the source of the light. As he continued to move backwards, his foot caught on the loop of a root and he fell, this time landing on his back and his butt.

A strange sound began to resonate within the chamber, growing higher and higher with every passing second. Then another strange sound filled the room; the sound of rattling. Alex opened his eyes, and watched in total bewilderment as he saw strange ghost-like creatures, making the rattling sounds. And then as the rattling sound continued, strange streams of colorful light began swirling all around the chamber, while powerful gusts of wind from unknown sources blew against the young boy's body.

As the scene unfolded before him, he was only able to utter two words in a whisper, "Oh, crap… "

And with that, the light consumed his body; the lights coiled and intertwined all around him. Alex could barely breathe with this energy surrounding him; it was almost as if it was welcoming him for something. The last thing he felt was a strange sensation of being torn apart, limb by limb. However, it was quite the opposite; he was dissolved from toe to head. When the feeling ended, there was nothing but darkness.

... darkness and silence...

* * *

Back on the surface, Kari ran up towards the tree with her father in tow as they stopped. "He's down in the tunnel," Kari explained as she looked in worry as she shouted down, "Alex! I got Dad with me!" but no answer came, making her and her dad worry as she tried again, "Alex? Alex!"

There was nothing, just the silence of the tunnel minus the echo of her voice.

However, standing at the stairway, going unnoticed by Mr. Killian or Kari, Jun stood there at the steps. After she had seen Kari run in, going hysterical and saying Alex had fallen in a hole near the tree. She didn't know what was going on right now, but she bowed her head and made a silent prayer, "Oh, Gods. Please watch out for my nephew. Whatever fate is that you have planned for him… bring him back safely to his family."

Whatever fate had befallen Alex Killian… only the core of the Sacred Tree knew of this.

* * *

**Next Chapter: An Ancient World; Cursed by a Demon-God**

**Sorry if this chapter came out small; I had to get this one done as fast as I could. Don't worry, the next chapter's gonna be a bit longer.**


	4. Cursed by a Demon God

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 3: An Ancient World; Cursed by a God-Demon**

* * *

The forest was quiet at it neared dawn; the forest was darkened and blanketed in fog. There was some illumination of light that shined within it, coming from the moon that shined in. however, all was not quiet in the forest as something moved through the trees. Loathsome sounds were heard rumbling deep within the forest. Suddenly, trees were being knocked down, almost as if something was breaking them down, attempting to make its way through by destroying anything that got in its way. Whatever this thing was, it was covered in shadows and hard to make out, but one thing was certain… its flesh began to move and crawl, almost as if it were alive on its own.

The creature past a family of foxes, ignoring them as it stepped right next to them. When it touched the ground, a dark shade of brown began to spread upon the green grassy ground. As it shuffled off, it left a trail of decayed earth, with a couple of slimy snake like creatures that squiggled around.

* * *

"Ugh, wha… wha happened… ? Wh… where… where am I… ?"

When Alex had finally regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the fresh, sweet smell of damp forest. As he slowly opened his eyes trying to refocus his vision, and trying to shake off the drowsiness spell that lasted upon him, he saw that he was no longer in the strange, underground chamber of the Sacred Tree. With a yawn and a stretch of his back, the teenager pushed himself off his back and sat up straight.

For all a while all he could do was sit and stare off into nothingness. His head felt light as did his entire body; which would have caused him to fall back down, but he found the strength to ensure he stayed up. Everything that had happened, all of it seemed like a blur of scattered memories.

He crossed his arms and frowned in thought out loud as he told himself, "Okay, I seem to recall that I fell through a tunnel underground near the Sacred Tree. Kari went to go get Dad for help. Then I went to go down that tunnel and found that chamber…" he grumbled, knowing full well he couldn't quite grasp what had happened after that. He sighed in defeat as he grumbled, "But the rest was pretty much a blur after that chamber light and that rattling."

After brooding on it, Alex stood up, but a little disoriented from whatever threw him on the ground. he looked about his current location, but was amazed as he saw that he was back on top of the surface, and saw the Tree right in front of him as fresh and new as his sister had shown him. However… the house, clinic, and temple were nowhere to be seen… not even the neighborhood. All he saw was forest that stretched as far as the human eye could see.

Startled by this, and almost on the verge of freaking out, he then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Kari!" but no response came; all he could hear was his echo bouncing through the trees. "Kari! Dad! Anju! Aunt Jun!" he tried again, still without response, "Anybody! Is anybody out there?"

He tried again, and again, and kept on trying to even try to get someone, as he walked through the forest, shouting out for help to get a hold of someone. After what felt like the fifteenth time and completely getting himself lost, but not as much as to forget where the Sacred Tree was, he gave up and fell back onto the soft ground, "DAMMIT ALL!!!"

The scream seemed to carry throughout the entire vastness of the unknown forest. After nearly an hour of searching for his home, his family, or even some sign that he was still in Tokyo, Japan, Alex tiredly leaned against a tree and frowned. 

"Okay, Alex. Just calm down," he said to himself as he processed the whole situation, "Let's look at the situation calmly, and logically. I fell into a mysterious underground chamber to where my aunt's sacred tree was, got zapped by some weird glow in the dark bulb, I wake up lying on the ground in the middle of some humongous forest I don't even recognize. The Sacred Tree is here but my family, home, and perhaps the entire city of Tokyo has completely vanished without a trace."

He crossed his arms, brooding at what came next, "And the only things I have for supplies is my jacket, a Swiss-Army knife, the clothes on my back, and my brains and street smarts, as well as three years worth of martial arts training and skateboarding… a lotta good that's gonna do me out here in the middle of a forest jungle."

He huffed in aggravation and looked up at the sky, the branches and leaves nearly blotting out for him, "Oh yeah, I am officially screwed."

He then reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the pocket knife, and looked at it with mixed feelings of relief and regret, "Good thing I always carry this in case of emergencies. I just wish this thing had a compass."

He then took out the blade and marked one of the trees nearby, "Like Hansel and Gretel's trail of breadcrumbs… except I don't have any bread on me," though he stopped for a moment to survey on his next move, "Okay, let's see…." he pointed towards right, "Now I know, or at least I should know that this might be the West," and then pointed to his left, overlooking what seemed to be nine miles of forest, "This this might be the East, which Tokyo should be," he figured now that he had to at least find someone down that way. If this was still Tokyo, Japan that is.

He looked off towards the East of the forest; instantly, he gulped at what he saw. It looked like a nine mile walk head of him. Nine miles without any food or water, with no rest areas… and with not toilets. This realization had darkened his face and his mood as he sarcastically and sourly grumbled to himself, "Nine miles… this is just beautiful," With that said and done, he collected himself and made his way to the east of the unknown vast forest.

* * *

**Elsewhere in the Forest**

The shadowy creature moved slowly across the ground, shuffling and oozing its way forward like a enormous slug. Loathsome sounds rumbled from within its obscured body as it plowed through bushes and over small plants. The creature then stopped at the foot of a tree, looked at it for a moment, then continued onward. Where it's flesh touched the rough bark, a dark shade of brown began to spread. With a terrible cry of rage, the thing lurched forward and pushed the now lifeless tree over. When the obstruction had been cleared away, it moved on, leaving a dark trail of shadow, rage, and death behind it.

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

The afternoon sun could barely be seen through the thick canopy of leaves or the web of vines created by the forest. It had only bee a few three hours since Alex had started on his trek in any signs of civilization, or at least figure out where the heck he was. But to him he felt that it had been the whole day; he had trekked on and on, and found nothing. So far, he felt that he wasn't too sure that there was anyone even around here. It was almost like he had been the last man on a newly reborn earth, where the forest had retaken the whole planet.

So far, it had just been an exhausting nature walk for the poor raven haired American teenager. He was tired, thirsty, and the lack of human contact was getting to him, more than once. He had no clue, no absolute clue, as to where he was, how he got here, nor even how much longer he would have to walk until his legs would fall off. As of this time, the American teenager could care less about all this; as long as he was moving, the less he gained a headache.

It became apparent that the more he thought, the more he knew his loneliness would creep up on him. He sighed and moaned as he stopped to think aloud, "I blame that dumb tree," he knew full well that if he had just stayed away from that Sacred Tree's nucleus core. He groaned as he sighed, "I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning…"

It was at that moment when he started to walk again, something twinge his nose. Alex sniffed the air, and then cringed as he grabbed his nose, nearly stepping back and turning away for a moment, "Oh man! What a stink! It smell like if a homeless person bathed in rancid meat, and then dried off with a towel made out of dead fish skins, and sprayed on a cologne called 'Wet Dog'," Going against all the warning bells in his head, he took a few steps forward to where the stench was coming from.

He followed the stench until he came across a shallow trench that was stretched out across the path he traveled on. When he got there, he saw something about the trench that was quite bizarre about it. Alex knelt down near it as he examined the trench's surface; the surface of the trench was coated in a layer of slimy red and black film.

He reached down and touched the slime, and brought back his hand with a few drips of the slime as he cringed a bit, "Sheesh! I feel like I'm in a bad attempt in making an Aliens movie."

But then he took notice of something else at this moment as he looked back at the trench. The plants and grass that was around the trench were all brown and dead with decay, as were the nearby trees. And some of the trees had been pushed and broken down, almost as if something rammed through them without even going at a high speed. From what Alex saw, the trees were brought down with pure powerful strength.

"Jeez," Alex breathed as he gulped a little, "Something huge came through this way," and then looked back at the trench, and saw that it seemed to continue for miles in both directions, "and it sure made a mess of this area." as he looked back at the trench again, he nearly lost his lunch as it seemed to remind him of an infected gash that his father had shown him off one of his patients.

He covered his nose now, realizing that he had taken a huge whiff of it, and realized it smelled even worse now, "Oh… oh, god. I'm gonna be sick."

He stood up again, planning to make clear out of there, but then something caught his eye. Something was moving along the trench's bottom… something still alive. Because it was too cryptic by the red and black slimy film to ID it, he carefully stepped into the trench. each step he took make a sickening squish sound, and then he crouched on one knee and moved in to get a better look at it.

"What the heck is this… ?" Alex asked as he got a good look of it.

The thing that caught his eye wriggled like a worm or snake, but it had the sickly, dark color of rotten flesh. Alex, fighting against his better judgment, reached out with one hand to touch it with just the tip of his fingers. But the moment his skin made contact with it, a burning pain shot through his fingers. "Holy…!" he shouted and hissed as he yanked his arm away and jumped out of the trench to gain distance away from the creature.

He then quickly rubbed his hand on his pants and blew at it, trying to wipe away the burning sensation on his fingers. He took a quick glance at the creature as he breathed heavily, "Jeez, you're a nasty little bugger, aren't you?"

Ignoring the creature as it continued to slither in the trench, Alex took a quick glance around the forest. He then quickly jumped over the trench, barely landing on the other side. It was then that he took another look at the trench as he cringed in his thoughts, 'Maybe there's a whole colony of those things. Like a termite or ant colony.' he shivered at the thought of running into that many critters.

He then took a huge sigh as he continued making his way eastward, "Whatever it was… I really, really, _really_ hope I don't end up running into it along the way."

* * *

**Later On**

* * *

After two long hours of walking, Alex had finally came into a clearing as the forest opened up. Alex stepped out from behind the thick rows of trees, shielding his eyes from the sun. he sighed as he felt a swell of relief wash all over his form. He smiled at what he saw, "Oh, thank you, God," he looked up at the sky, thanking that his prayers had been answered, "Thank you for watching over me."

Right in front of him and onward, was a dirt path running along side a stone wall that had been built into the side of a steep hill.

Grinning with much relief, he smirked as he ran along the path, kicking up dust behind him. "I knew it," he told himself as he ran up the path, "I knew there were people around here! Nobody else could have made that wall."

As he ran, the path soon curved inward, cutting into the hill itself. The stone walls on either side of the path were too high for him to see over the top, but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was finding someone and having them tell him where the heck he was. But as he continued to run through it, he looked up and saw a strange-looking structure, starting to peek up from over the left wall.

The path eventually and finally took Alex to an open clearing covered in tall and luscious grass. He stopped as he got a good look at the structure had he had taken a glimpse of. The structure turned out to be a very outdated or primitive lookout tower. The supports were made entirely from the trunks of thin yet strong trees that sunk deep into the ground, and leaned against each other. The roof was made apparently from large dried up leaves stitched together and tied to the top of the tower. The only thing that held the ancient edifice together was a series of ropes and logs.

Strapped to the tower was what appeared to be a red elk, with big horns on its head. From the way it was, it seemed to be domesticated; almost as if it was trained to be like a horse.

Alex raised an eyebrow as he asked himself, "A log watch tower?" he then started to move towards it, still trying to figure this out, "Didn't know they still made stuff like those. I only see these things in either history books or F-Troop."

As he got closer, Alex looked up and saw an old man, sitting silently inside what he assumed was the tower's look out. But as he got closer, he noticed the old man's thick beard, and noticed his unusual style of clothing. He appeared to have been wearing a red coat made form some kind of animal fur, and wore a blue kimono shirt with brown rugged pants, that had bandages wrapped around his calves, and seemed to wear a straw hat. The elderly man had a very serious expression stretched across his face, and he didn't seem to notice Alex, as he was too fixated on the nearby trees and darkened forest.

Alex, just walked up, thinking, 'What is this, some kind of reenacting village? Like the ones back in Pennsylvania,' but if anyone knew what was going on, it had to be this guy. "Um," Alex began hesitantly, "Excuse me, um, Sir?" the old man still paid no attention to him. Alex thought for a moment and decided to try a different approach.

"YO! GRANDPA!" he shouted out, waving his arms in the air. The old man jumped in shock, and then looked down to see the young man, "Yeah, I'm down here! I was wondering if you could tell me where I…"

"Hurry, boy!" the old man cried, "Get up here now!"

"Huh?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow, "What's the big deal?"

"Get up here now!" the old man shouted, leaning over the platform's handrails as he looked at Alex with desperate eyes, "Get up here on high ground now! Your life is in danger!"

Alex raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, wanting to ensure not to give the old man a heart attack, "Alright." he hopped onto the first railing as he started to climb up, but as he did, he asked, "What's going on?"

"There's something in the forest!" the old man replied loudly, "It's heading straight in this direction!"

As soon as Alex got up on the look out deck, he nervously smiled at the man, and turned away dread in thought, 'Okay… this guy's completely off his rocker,' but then Alex realized something very important. Aside from the elk, there wasn't any other noise, no birds, animals growling or yelping… hell, there weren't even squirrels jumping from tree to tree. It was then that Alex turned to the old man, and aksed nervously, "Um… when you said something was heading this way… what did you mean?"

"I'm not sure," the old man answered, never taking his eyes off the darkened forest, "But I know this: it isn't human."

At that very moment, a strange crashing sound echoed from within the darkened forest trees. Alex and the old man both looked to see what was happening. Beyond another stone wall that separated them from the forest, lay a vast grove of trees. Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked deeper through the gaps between the trees.

And that's when he saw it.

Though it wasn't a clear image, the young teen boy was able to make a dark shape moving within the forest. It's shape was completely indefinable; almost as if it's form was more malleable than a solid form. Then came another sound; a faint screech that sent a chill racing down and up his spine.

"Did you see it?" the old man asked.

"I'm not sure what I saw," Alex replied. But then, he suddenly smelled something in the air. It was the same rancid odor that had saturated around the trench he had come across earlier. He immediately covered his nose as he whinced, "Oh man, it's that same smell again."

"Odor?", the old man asked.

"Yeah, I came across it when I found this trench full of dead plants and grass," but then he coughed as he tried to get the smell out of his lungs, "Only this time, it's probably ten times stronger."

"Look! Over there," the old man shouted, pointing to a spot behind the wall.

When Alex looked to where the old man had pointed, he found himself short of breath or words. A patch of trees were starting to change from a healthy green to a sickly dying brown, rotting away into shriveled skeletons. As he looked closer, he saw a black ooze bubbling through the crack in the wall.

With a crash of unearthly strength, a huge portion of the wall exploded outward. After the dust settled, the explosion revealed what Alex could only describe as the most bizarre yet loathsome creature he or anyone he knew could have ever seen in their lifetime. The creature had to be around maybe ten to thirteen feet in height; probably around the size of an RV. The creature's body was long and insect-like, with two glowing red eyes that would pierced the soul of any brave man. Its skin and flesh was composed of what looked to be millions upon millions of slimy black and red worms. The creature lumbered away from the wall and began to make its way into the middle of the clearing, leaving behind a trail of rotting death and with each step it took as well.

Alex could only gawk at this gigantic monster, "WHAT THE FUCK!" he yelled pointing right at it, "WHA… what the hell is that thing? It looks like something out of Resident Evil!"

"It's a Demon God!" the old man said in utter terror.

Alex gulped and paled at that as he turned to the old man, and then back at the creature, "A… a Demon God?"

As soon as the so-called Demon God reached the center of the clearing, it let loose an ear-piercing cry. As it did, the worms of its flesh suddenly began to ripple violently and peeled away, shooting upward like a wave. As it did this, the wormy flesh revealed a giant golden brown boar that was concealed within the rotting flesh. Its body was huge and powerful, its tusks as big as lances that could impale a man easily, and yellow eyes that gleamed in the sun… if they weren't so lifeless. The boar gave one last roar before the worms covered its form once again. When its eight spider-like legs were fully regenerated, it launched itself towards the watchtower.

As it charged towards them, Alex and the old man saw the shallow trench of black and red it left in its path. The elk had broken loose and got out of the way before the Demon God had reached its target.

In a blindingly fast movement, the Demon God engulfed the bottom of the watch tower, eating away at the supports. When it could no longer support its own weight, the tower tipped and toppled over the edge of the cliff. But before it was too late, Alex and the old man jumped off in the nick of time and landed in one of the trees near them. Not wanting to stick around and admire the destruction it had caused, or find the two humans that got away, the Demon God shuffled/skittered over the cliff and began to quickly make its way down the hill.

On the tree, Alex groaned a bit, feeling sore from doing something that crazy. But then he remembered about the old man, and looked around to find him. "Gramps! GRAMPS!" he shouted as he started to climb down the tree, not even stopping to think about what he was doing. It was when he reached the bottom, he saw the old man on the ground, sitting at the trunk of the tree. He hopped down the tree and immediately rushed over to him.

"You okay, Gramps?" Alex asked as he crouched beside the old man, holding his shoulder in order to help him up.

"Don't worry about me, boy," the old man said as Alex helped him to his feet, but he held his right arm in pain, "It's just a broken arm. I'll survive," but then he cringed in pain of it.

"Just hold on," Alex said as he looked around, "I'll see if I can find some wood to make a splint out of."

"No! There's no time," the old man stated as he looked to Alex with determined eyes, "It's heading for the village. You must warn them before that Demon reaches the village."

Alex looked hardened on doing this, not even flinching, as he asked, "Where can I find it?"

"Straight down this hill and through the forest. You'll find it as soon as you reach the clearing," but before Alex could go, the old man grabbed his arm, "You'll never make it on foot. Take my elk." The old man placed two fingers in his partially toothless mouth and whistled loudly, "Ah-Uh!" he called out, and within seconds, the elk that had fled bounded from the cliff and gracefully leapt his towards the two humans.

When it reached them, it bent its head down to nuzzle the old man's shoulder, "He's one of our fastest elks," he continued, "You'll be able to out run that monster with him."

For a moment, Alex just stared at the horned animal, and nervously asked, "You're kidding right?"

"It's just like riding a horse, only twice as fast," the old man retorted clutching his injured arm, "Please, you don't have much time!"

'I can't believe I'm doing this,' biting his lip, Alex took hold of the elk's large antler and swung himself on to the saddle. He then grabbed the reins and turned the elk down hill, "Alright, here we go!" with a kick to the elk's sides, and a light snap of the rains, the elk lurched backward and in a flash, took off.

"Young man, be careful," the old man shouted before Alex disappeared from sight, "That thing is cursed! Don't let it touch you!" and he stood there, watching both the elk and the strangely dressed young man disappear into the trees, he could hear the sounds of loud yelping and swearing; but mostly yelping.

* * *

**In the Forest**

* * *

For Alex, riding an elk was like riding a living roller coaster, and he felt as if he was just seconds away from puking his guts out. He pressed his body flat against the elk's body and held the reins tightly. 'Get a grip, Alex,' he told himself as he tried to focus on the job at hand, 'There's a giant Demon God on the loose, and you've got a village to warn!'

His eyes scanned the rapidly moving forest, searching for the Demon God, or whatever the hell it was. It was nowhere to be found, but that could have been because he was moving too fast to really look carefully.

Then suddenly, from out of nowhere, the rippling mass of the Demon God burst out from behind a thick clump of bushes, turning them to smoldering weeds as it touched them. The elk, with only a fraction of a second to make its next maneuver, dodged the larger creature with Alex clinging tightly to its neck.

"Great!", he exclaimed look back at the Demon God which was now just a meter or so behind them, "now it's chasing us!" He returned his attention forward and saw that they were now coming into another clearing. "I can't see how anything could possibly get any worse!"

* * *

**In the Clearing**

* * *

Near the small village down the hill, three girls were making their way to it. The girls were of Asian, between the ages of twelve to fourteen, had short light brown hair that was tied up in buns, and had brown eyes. They wore short sleeved blue kimono shirts with red trimming and blue skirts with it. It was held on by a light blue sash, and they had a basket bag strapped on to their shoulders. On their forearms were blue leather guards, and on their calves, blue bandages. They had just got back from the watch tower, and had been told by the old man, Gisan, to warn the village.

But they suddenly stopped as they saw movement from the forest. Then they saw Gisan's elk ride in, with a strange young man in even stranger garments. Following them, the Demon God charged right at him, but halted. It turned as it saw the girls, and the village… and immediately, it charged right towards them.

One of the girls screamed, "It's a demon!"

The eldest girl took charge as she ordered, "C'mon!" and the trio of girls ran towards the village as fast as they could.

Then, as if Alex's question was answered, he saw the Demon God go after the three girls. When he saw this, he grumbled, "I just had to ask," he then gave Ah-Uh another kick, "C'mon, boy!" and like a bolt of lightning, they both darted down the hill in pursuit of the Demon God.

The three girls ran as fast as their feet would carry them. But even with all their efforts, they were still unable to keep a good distance between themselves and the horrible monster advancing on them.

The one leading them suddenly caught her foot on a rock protruding from the ground and fell flat on her chest. As she looked up she saw that the two other girls had not noticed her fall. 

"Go! Run!" she cried out to her companions while holding her ankle in pain. The two other girls wanted to help her, but they were too consumed by their own terror that they took her advice and fled. She looked behind her, and saw that the monster was only several yards away and the distance was quickly lessening.

Just as the Demon God was about to pounce, the girl was suddenly yanked from off the ground and pulled into a saddle as whatever it was, bolted right out of there before the Demon had a chance to slaughter her. The Demon God was so caught off guard that it fell over itself when it tried to follow the elk that had cut across its path. It's enormous bulk rolled along the slope of the hill like a piece of clay and crashed against the side of a large boulder.

When the elk slowly came to a stop, Alex looked down at the girl he had just saved. From the look of her face, she mast have been only twelve years old, just like his young sister. 

"Are you okay?" Alex asked, his male nurse instincts and actions kicking in.

Because the girl was so dazed from what had just happened it took her awhile before she was able to answer. "I'm alright," but she winced a bit. "My ankle," she said with a few tears in her eyes, "I think I twisted it."

Forgetting that he was talking to a girl, or the fact that there was a Demon God on the rampage, Alex hopped off the elk, and let her sit on the saddle as he examined her left ankle. The skin around it was swollen and purple, "Yeah, it's twisted alright."

The angry sounds of rage drew both their attention away from the injury and towards the Demon God which was now back on its feet. Alex suddenly stood up and stood his ground at the ready.

"Wait! What do you think you're doing?" The girl asked, clinging to the elk's reins.

"That thing won't chase you if it's already chasing me," he replied, "And the old guy at the tower told me to warn your village about it." He turned and gave the girl a serious look, "But you're gonna have to do it for me. Can you ride that thing?"

The girl nodded confidently, "A lot better than you can," but hesitated as she asked, "What about you?"

"Just get your butt out of here; don't worry about me," Alex reassured her as he returned his attention to the task at hand.

The girl frowned then nodded again in agreement when she saw that there was no way of negotiating with this strange looking foreigner. "Alright," she said, "But take this." She unsheathed a machete-sized sword and handed it to him.

Alex took the weapon quickly and without hesitation, but looked at it with a raised eyebrow. "Well at least I'm armed, but how am I gonna…"

He was suddenly cut off by a slimy tentacle that the Demon God had shot towards him. He dodged it and tumbled to the ground. As soon as he regained footing, he shouted to the girl, "Get out of here! GO! NOW!"

The tentacle shot at him again but was knocked away with a swipe of his newly acquired sword. A few other tentacles shot at him, but the creature didn't count on this boy being able to dodge him so easily, much less block all its advances at him with a mere machete. As soon as he saw an opening, Alex jumped over one tentacle, and roll-dodge another, and that allowed him to get around the beast and started running.

The girl could only look back helplessly at the strange boy who had saved her as he tried to outrun the hideous monster. "Just who is he anyway_?" _she asked herself, "And why is he risking his life to save people he doesn't know?" she thought this while trying to push the pain in her ankle to the back of her mind. She then turned her eyes forward and kicked the elk with her good leg, "Hurry Ah-Uh, he doesn't have much time!"

* * *

**Amishi Village**

* * *

They reached the entrance to the Amishi village in less than a minute. Every member of the small Amishi was now crowded in a terrified uproar. Many of the old men and women had sat themselves at the edge of the village and chanted prayers, pleading to their gods for protection against the approaching demon. As Ah-Uh proceeded towards the center grounds with the girl on his back, the two girls who had left her behind came rushing towards them. Both were on the verge of hysteria.

"Kaya!" one called out, "What happened to you?"

"We thought you were gone forever!" the other added on the verge of tears.

"I'm all right, it wasn't your fault," Kaya replied, "But we don't have time to worry about me, someone's up there fighting the monster!"

"Fighting?" an old woman asked, "One of our young men?" Her smallish eyes widened in surprise, "The hunting party came back?"

"No, the other boys still haven't come back from the lake," Kaya answered. She wasn't quite sure how to explain that the one who had saved her and who was now fighting the Demon-God was an outsider. Outsiders, no matter the circumstances, were never particularly welcome among the Amishi.

But at the moment, she didn't care as she told them, "He's an outlander." This of course earned at least a dozen gasps of disbelief. "But we can't just leave him up there to die, we just can't," She looked around frantically; her eyes almost on the verge of tears.

"Where are all the warriors?" one of the elders asked.

"The warriors are already on their way to kill the Demon!" someone shouted from the crowd of villagers.

"They'll never make it in time!"

"Fear not, dear Princess," said the calm voice of the village Oracle as she hobbled across the ground on her stocky legs. "This young traveler of time will not die today. Fate has other things in store for him."

* * *

**Back on the Hill**

* * *

Alex didn't know how much longer he was going to last against this monster. Every time it tried swipe at him with its slimy arms, defending himself took more and more effort. Even with all his martial arts training, he had never had to spar against something this big or multi-limbed before. But despite all that, the youth was not willing to yield; the adrenaline surging through his body was just too strong. Backing down now was not an option as he held the machete sword in a defensive way, and he stood in a defensive stance.

"Come on, you overgrown gelatinous jello mold gone bad!" he taunted the Demon God, "Everyone's been saying you're supposed to be this mighty demon! Or is that just a bunch of rumors to compensate for something?"

The Demon God hissed with furry and lunged at the insolent youth. The attack was abruptly halted when Alex turn side stepped away, just as the Demon God past him. And with all his strength, Alex turned and drove the sharp blade of the machete straight into its left eye. It cried in agony and rolled itself into a ball within its rippling worm flesh. It then formed a tentacle as it swatted the boy away, causing him to let go of the machete still embedded into its eye socket

Alex groaned and panted as he got on his knees and recovered. He wiped a bit of sweat from his face, and half-smirked, "Well this is a first for me," he told himself looking at the sword. Still embedded into the Demon God's left eye, "Since when did I become the courageous hero type?"

The ball suddenly burst into a hundred slimy tentacles that darted towards the already exhausted youth in a raging furry. Alex got back onto his feet and prepared to dodge it again. But by the time they reached him, he was too late to defend himself. A rippling tentacle took him by his right forearm and sent him crashing into the ground… while the tentacle still held on to his arm.

Alex screamed in shear anguish and pain as the Demon God's worms seeped onto his skin, and through his pores. 'My God,' Alex thought as he convulsed on the ground; his back arched up as he could barely breath, or barely think, 'This thing… it's feels like it's trying to get under my skin… eating me alive…'

Never in his life did he imagine that something could hurt so much. Another tentacle shot out from the Demon God's body and wrapped it around the right forearm, and yanked him forward at blinding speed.

As he was pulled towards it, he saw that the machete was still embedded in the Demon's eye. It was then that he remembered his biology; if he could shove the machete in deep enough, he could puncture the brain of this thing… killing it once and for all. Ignoring the pain, but only for a little while, Alex gritted his teeth as he shouted, "I'm… I'M NOT… DEAD YET!" and as he was reeled in close enough, he used his momentum to put his feet up forward, and slammed them into the Demon's face.

He then pulled his way up, fighting against the Demon's strength to pull him in with the tentacle. And with all his might, he started to nail the machete in with his freed right foot. The tentacle worms started to crawl on his body; the main tentacle still not letting go of him, despite the creature's pain. Feeling the new sensations of pain in its body, the Demon God cried out in rage and pain, and hurled its tentacles in all directions. And then with one final stomp and a yell from Alex, he drove the machete deep within the Demon's eye, and like he predicted, struck the brain as the Demon let out one massive howling cry.

As soon as the Amishi warriors had arrived, with their bows and arrows at the ready, with Kaya leading the way, they witnessed the fight between the outsider and the Demon God. Never in their lives, did they ever perceive that one human alone could kill a Demon God with just a blade. As the giant boar began to die, the demon flesh covering it slowly started to liquefy, dropping into smoldering puddles of black.

Stepping away in a half conscious daze, Alex hopped off and staggered back, as he looked and watched as the worms covering his right forearm and hand turned to burning, hot muck and oozed off his arm. A small burn was left on the back of his right hand and forearm as he let it dangle on his side.

As he fell back onto the grass, he glanced at the dying boar, smiled, and painfully whispered, "I got you.... Porky…"

It didn't take long for the warriors to reach both the boar and the strangely dressed young man who had killed It. While the rest gazed at the dying animal, a burly looking man walked over towards the fallen youth and knelt down beside him, "You still alive, lad?" he asked with a gruff looking smile.

Alex looked at the man half-dead and returned the smile, "It wasn't easy," he said weakly, "…but I got…" Suddenly, his body suddenly began to spasm violently as he fell flat on his back on the ground. His body shook violently and his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. His mouth spread open, releasing a continuous round of gagging noises while his back arched upward. Suddenly, from the burns, very dark veins began to spread up to his arm and onto his neck. His hand had turned into the shade of black ooze that the creature's skin had been, and his nails grew to razor sharp points.

"The lad's been injured!" the kneeling warrior said as he tried to restrain Alex. He then examined the burn marks on the lad's right forearm and hand as they began to grow rapidly, "Goyu!" he called out to a man with a thick, gray mustache, "Go fetch the Oracle!"

"Right," the man replied, and quickly began running down towards the village.

"The boy's not from around here," said another warrior as he eyed Alex's clothing contemptuously, "Look at that armor he's wearing."

"Forget about his armor, look at his skin!" someone added, "Have you ever seen anything so dark? So… foreign?"

It was nearly five minutes later that Goyu returned with the Oracle riding piggy-back. In her small hand she carried a large bottle of water. "Don't touch him," she shouted, "All of you keep away from him, the boy's been cursed!"

Kaya followed closely behind riding atop Ah-Uh. When she reached the group she threw herself at the ground beside Alex who was still convulsing uncontrollably. Now the veins had reached his face as he shut his eyes tightly. He then opened them again as he let out another gagged scream, but this time, his eyes had turned completely black, with only his irises retaining color, but instead of them being blue, they were now the unnatural color of golden yellow… just like the boar's eyes. 

"What happened to you?" she asked wide eyed. She then looked back at the Oracle, and pleaded, "Isn't there anything we can do for him?"

The dwarfish, old woman pressed the bottle of water into Kaya's hands, "Take this purified water and poor it over his burns, child. You must do it carefully." she then took out a pair of scissors, and a golden piece of metal, "I need to gather some of the God's flesh and blood."

The young Princess followed her instructions and began to pour the water over Alex's right forearm and hand. Smoke and sizzling noises sputtered from the burns; and even this caused the boy pain as well as his gurgled screams became roars of pain. The Oracle ran over to the boar's body, and quickly snipped at some of the boar's fur, and scooped up some of the blood. She returned to where Kaya and Alex were, she placed the gold metal on his right wrist. She then began to mix together the blood and fur as she began to chant in an unknown dialect. As she finished chanting, she positioned the hand that held the boards flesh and blood, and squeezed it, allowing one drop of the mixture to hit the metal piece.

As it did, it glowed brightly as it seeped into the metal piece. After that happened, the metal began to flex and melt, becoming malleable and alive as it sprouted out tentacles of its own. They then shot into Alex's wrist, burying themselves into the flesh. Alex screamed out in even more pain as his convulsions became more violent. Kaya and a few warriors had to hold him down as this happened. But as it did, the darkened veins started to regress back to the wound, and the wound itself began to regress as well.

As the wound disappeared, the golden metal band had wrapped around Alex's wrist, forming into a wrist chain of sorts, with the mixture of red blood crystallizing into a red gem of sorts. When the feeling of pain began to fade from his body, Alex's eyes had returned to their normal color, and then he breathed a relieved sigh and fell into a silent coma.

With her bare feet sinking into the soft grass, the Oracle slowly made her way towards the fallen boar, as it was taking labored breaths. She stopped where the grass became lifeless dirt and bowed, "Oh, Nameless God of rage and hatred, I bow before you." She tilted forward again and clasped her hands together. "We shall raise a mound where you have fallen, and perform the ceremony of passing in your honor. Pass on into the after life in peace noble lord, and bear us no hatred," she bowed once more.

The Boar God's blood-oozing mouth suddenly began to move, "Be silent you disgusting little creature!" he bellowed with a frightening voice of death, "Your words of sorrow and honor sicken me," but then he chuckled as he looked to the outsider's unconscious form, "But it matters not; the boy may have killed me... but he will soon carry out my will. Soon that boy will share a similar fate that I had been cursed with. Soon all of your kind will feel the hatred I have felt, and shall suffer as I have suffered!" As his last words faded into the air, his body began to rot away, leaving nothing but a lifeless skeleton and a pool of foul smelling blood.

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Oracle's Curse and Vison; Journey to the West**

* * *


	5. The Oracle's Curse and Vision

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Oracle's Curse and Vision; Journey to the West

* * *

**

Alex groaned as he lay down on what he thought was his bed. Then suddenly, a cold, wet feeling washed over his face as a damp cloth gently wiped across his brow. He lightly moaned at the feeling; it was very soothing to him now. He tried to open his eyes; the only thing though he could see was a blur of darkness, but a shape of what appeared to be a girl.

He lifted his right arm, as he tried to get up, but someone gently placed their hands on his shoulders. They gently shoved him back down on the bed. He then asked, feeling a little woozy from getting up, "Ngh. K-Kari? Kari… is that you."

"Shhhhh," the girl gently said to him, "You need to rest; you've been asleep for hours; it's midnight now."

Alex groaned a little as slightly, he realized that his shirt was off, and that his chest was bandaged a bit. He also felt that he was covered in thick layers of quilts and animal furs. Which was pretty strange, but assumed he was back in home. He groaned as he explained, "Man, I had the weirdest dream, Kari. I dreamt I got sent… sent back in some feudal era Japan. And then this… this giant demon creature, just attacked me," he groaned as he placed his right hand on his face to wipe away the sweat, "It was terrible…"

"It's alright now," the girl's voice reassured him as she began to spark something, "You're safe here… in the home of the Amishi Village."

When those words were uttered, Alex's eyes opened wide with confusion and shock as he asked aloud, "Amishi Village?"

Then finally, a torch was lit, and Alex had a better look as to where he was now. He shot up, the furs sliding off him to show his bare chest; from first glance now he saw that he was in some kind of hut. The walls were made from what looked like a combination of straw and thin beams of wood which slanted inward making up the hut's roof. There was faint smell of burning plants, probably some sort of herb, for the smell seemed to be what was causing his nose to sting. There was nothing around him that he could recognize. When he tried to remember the last few things that had happened within the past day the only thing he found was a few obscured pieces of images floating around his head. The last thing he did remember was seeing a giant boar, dying, as well as nearly getting killed by it.

"You should try to rest," said a rather gentle voice, "Your injuries are still healing."

Alex jerked his head to the right and saw the young girl that he had bumped into and saved. He then groaned as he rubbed his head with his right hand. It was then that he noticed the golden wrist chain he had on. He reached to take it off, but the girl, who paled at this, ran over to him. She knelt down and gently grabbed his hands to stop him, "No, don't!" she looked to him with worried eyes, making him stop as she continued, "You mustn't remove the Holy Band. If you do, the curse will spread and destroy you."

"Destroy me? Who are you?" Alex asked, feeling more confused as he didn't know what was going on now, "And more than that… where am I?"

She then knelt down next to him and bowed her head, "My name is Kaya," she answered, "And you're in a very safe place. There's nothing to be afraid of; it's my village, the village Amishi."

He then groaned as he got up, but Kaya was insisting him to stay down, "You should rest please…"

"I think I've rested enough, Kaya," Alex stated as he used the girl's name. he then spotted his shirt and jacket as he grabbed them both and slipped them on, and tied the jacket around his waist. It was then that he exited the hut, he had seen where he was now. It was a village that looked like something way back seven hundred years in Japan's feudal era, or maybe even farther.

It was then that Kaya stepped out with him, but then stopped as he turned around. She saw the look on his face was one of confusion, but also one that said, 'I'm ready to listen'. and he did as he looked to her and said, "Okay, Kaya. You can tell me about what happened."

Kaya smiled at that, but before the two could figure things out, a few warrior ran over to them both. They calmly surrounded Alex as they held their bows at the ready. Kaya was pulled back, as she protested, "Wait! Stop, he hasn't done anything wrong!"

The leader then stepped forward towards Alex as he commanded, "Come with us, Outlander. The Oracle would like to speak with you."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Oracle's Shrine Hut**

* * *

It was now a few hours past midnight. The sound of burning flames crackled through the wooden structure of the small Amishi shrine. The light flickered against the walls and floor and off a large section of cliff the shrine had been built into.

The village elders and warriors all sat in an uneasy silence as they watched the old Oracle gently drop another polished stone over the beige cloth. The bluish stone struck a yellow stone and rolled into the center of a red triangle that was painted on the cloth. Her ancient eyes gazed at where all of her stones had landed and studied the pattern which they created.

"I'm afraid this is very, very bad," the aging woman said, picking up the stones in her small hands and studying them very hard. "The Boar God had journeyed from lands far to the west. There was a dark poison festering within his body. A poisonous hatred that was feeding off his pain and rage." She dropped another stone, a green colored one, which landed just a few inches away from a piece of deer antler. "The poison drove him beyond the brink of his sanity and transformed him into the demon that tried to attack our village. That is what the stones tell me."

A murmur swept over the small group of men, as looks of worry and concern masked their bearded faces. Kogifa, one of the Amishi's eldest warriors was the first to speak out, "Are there more Demon Gods like him?" he asked, "Will we be forced to fight them all if they try to attack us again?

"No," the Oracle replied with a gentle tone., "As far as the stones can foresee, there are no other's like him," but then looked to them as she finished, "At least there are no other like him around this area. There are other demons around the world, but they hold no interest to our home as the Boar did."

"What about the outlander who killed it?" Goyu finally added.

"Yes," someone else agreed, and then asked in fear, "What are we to do with him? Was he sent here by the Emperor?"

The Oracle smiled, and rolled two stones in her hand, "The boy is not of this land, nor is he of this time."

"What does that mean, Wise One?"

"I shall be honest with all of you. I have known of this outlander's coming for some time now." She looked up and smiled at the gawking faces of the men who were fixated on her, "The premonition of his arrival came to me in a dream many nights ago. It said that when the moon was in the west corner of the summer sky and the star of the Heavens was at its greatest peak, a symbol of our past would come, bringing with it a plague of darkness. At the same time, on the same day, a symbol of our future would come, bringing with it a light of hope. Upon awakening from the dream, I immediately turned to the stones for answers."

She let out a small pause, letting the elders and chiefs in suspense for an answer, until she finally gave one, "They gave me none."

Ji-san, whom had been quiet for most of the time, suddenly spoke, "A symbol of our past and a symbol of our future?"

"That is correct, Ji-san," the Oracle replied. "The Boar God was the symbol of our past bringing with it a plague of darkness. However… I do believe it was merely the beginning of the Darkness. There were other symbols after the first one." She then paused and took a deep breath, "And the young outlander is the symbol of our future....... bringing a light of hope, banded together with other lights."

The white-bearded man looked at his fellow elders with a slight look of dismay then looked back at the Oracle, "Can this be true, Wise One? Is this boy truly from the future?"

The Oracle nodded, "From a land far beyond the reach of even the power of Japan and its Emperor, but moved to live in our land in the future. Almost an entire millennium separates our worlds."

"How is this even possible?"

Smiling calmly the old woman shook her head and gathered all of her stones into a small leather pouch, "That is something that I will share only with the traveler of time himself."

* * *

**Back Outside**

As Alex was led by the warriors, Kaya followed next to him. She had demanded that she come along, in order to see what would happen now. He looked to one side and saw that the warriors who leading them to who knows where were eyeing him mistrustfully.

"What's their problem?" he finally asked Kaya.

Kaya glanced at the silent group then laughed quietly, "They're always cautious when watching out for my well being," she said, "That and they're wary about the Holy Band on your wrist."

"My. Aren't I the popular one," Alex grinned and waved at the warriors, who just scowled in response. But then he stopped for a moment, and looked at the gold band on his wrist, and eyed the red jewel in the center of it. He cocked an eyebrow as he turned towards Kaya and asked as he pointed to the wrist chain he now had, "So what's the deal with the wrist chain anyway?"

After hearing that, Kaya stopped which caused Alex to stop as well along with the warriors. He noticed there was a pained look on her face; a look that said she feared for him and was on the verge of crying almost. But she shook her head as she finally answered, "That wrist chain is a Holy Band. It was made from the flesh and blood of the Demon God, and put on you in order to seal the Demon God's curse that was put on you."

After hearing that, Alex's eyes went wide with shock as he asked, "Curse? What curse?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you anymore," Kaya shook her head as she continued to walk on, with Alex following behind her, "Only the Oracle can explain it better than I can." but as they continued to make their way, she turned to him and asked, "By the way, what is your name?"

"It's Alex," he answered, "Alex Killian." He paused for a moment, then started to speak again, "I don't suppose you could tell me where I am? I don't even know if I'm still in Japan."

Kaya frowned, "We don't have a name for our village, nor do we have a name for the land around it," she said, shaking his head, "But even if we did I'm afraid that I couldn't tell you."

"Huh?" Alex retorted with a confused look, "Why not?"

"Because for the past five hundred years, my people have lived in seclusion away the outside world," her eyes became very serious. "Our village's placement is the one question that we can not give an answered to, I'm sorry."

"Just who are you people anyway?" Alex asked, "This whole place seems like something from out of time. I mean, I thought that the people of Japan would've stopped living in small villages like this by now."

"We're not Japanese, Alex," Kaya said quickly, "we're Amishi."

'Amishi? That sounds like a Japanese dish,' he thought to himself, but then Alex asked, "So what is it that I did to earn such attention?" 

Kaya shook her head as she answered, "You saved me from the Demon God that attacked our village earlier today."

Alex scratched his head, a confused look on his face. "Sorry, but I think you're probably mistaking me for someone…" but then he looked at his right hand for a moment, and then he remembered. As he stared at it, memories began to resurface. Memories of the tree, the blinding light, the foul smelling trench he had found in the forest..... and then finally, in a flash of images, he remembered his confrontation with the hideous Demon God. "It was all real," he said with a pained expression.

Kaya looked to him, slightly worried about him as she asked, "Alex?"

He shook his head, "It's nothing Kaya," he then asked, "So you all live in total isolation out here?" Kaya nodded, "And no one's found you once?"

"Only a few, but they were just traveling merchants. They had absolutely no real interest in our village." She shot a quick grin at Alex, "And then there's you."

At the moment, the young outlander was too deep in thought to respond, 'Traveling merchants? since when does 21st century Japan still have traveling merchants?' He glanced at the young Amishi girl who was watching him quietly. 'And where've I heard the name, Amishi before?' He pondered the question for a moment. 'I remember a Japanese professor giving a lecture; he said something about.... yeah, it was when we were studying Asian history!'

"Alex?" Kaya asked as she tapped him on the shoulder, "Is something wrong?"

"Amishi," he stated suddenly, "You said that you and your people were Amishi. right? As in the original inhabitants of Japan?"

Kaya, though somewhat surprised by the outlander's knowledge of his people, answered the question, "Yes, we are their descendants."

Alex crossed his arms and looked upward. "Now wait a minute, I'm no expert in history. Heck, I flunked the class, but weren't the Amishi all wiped out in the eight-hundreds? At least twelve hundred years ago?"

"Our people were wiped out, and driven into the eastern land," Kaya answered. "But it has only been five hundred years since it had happened."

Alex just stared. "That can't be right," he replied, "That would mean that the Amishi were all killed off in the 1500s. Either you've got your dates wrong, or I'm a bigger history flop-out than I thought." He frowned, "Either way, this whole thing just doesn't make any sense."

"Why is that?"

"Well for starters, you people living in seclusion like this for as long as you have is just too hard to believe. I mean, someone other than a few merchants would've discovered you by now. Scientists spend years looking for villages like this. It's just not possible for a group of people like you guys to live in a country like Japan and not be noticed after all this time!"

"I understand your disbelief, but…"

"And then there's the subject of the Amishi," Alex continued, "If you and your people here are really Amishi, I just can't see how your ancestors could've been wiped out in the fifteen-hundreds. the Amishi were well extinct by then."

But before Kaya could go into an argument with this, the warriors stopped as they pointed to the Oracle's Shrine.

* * *

**Back in the Shrine**

* * *

"But what are we to do with him?" Kogifa asked, "We've already broken many of our laws by allowing him to regain his health in our village. You said yourself that he was cursed, so why not get him as far away from our village as soon as we can?"

"But the lad saved Princess Kaya's life and fought the Demon by himself," Ji-san retorted rubbing his injured arm gently, "We should be grateful to him for what he's done."

"He's an outlander, and if we don't get rid of him, his curse will eventually spread to all of us!"

Before a heated argument could erupt, the dwarfish old Oracle slowly rose to her feet, "This boy's fate has already been laid out for him by the hands of the universe. None of us can alter what has already been decided."

"If you feel that, this is the wisest way to go about the boy's presence here, Oracle," said Kogifa, "then we shall graciously abide by your wisdom." When these words were said, Alex walked into the room, startling the elders and warriors, even as much as when they saw Princess Kaya walk in.

The Oracle smiled at the outlander as she addressed him, "I suppose there is much you must know. Very well, let us begin…"

* * *

**Minutes Later**

* * *

For a long span of time, Alex found himself staring at the dwarfish old woman Kaya, and the man named Sojai, had referred to as the Oracle. He sat cross-legged at the far end of the shrine with Kaya sitting just beside him. The only sounds that could be heard throughout the wooden structure was the crackle of burring oil lanterns, the howling of wind blowing through the thatched roof and the clatter of the Oracle's stones of foresight.

"You're kidding me, right?" Alex asked with a wide expression on his face.

The Oracle smiled gently, "I'm afraid that I am not, young man," she said casting another stone onto the beige cloth in front of her, "The stones have never provided me with false answers."

Alex shook his head as he tried to take this all in, "You honestly expect me to believe that I've been sent seven hundred years into the past by a tree that was supposedly the burial ground for some dead God?" He cocked an eyebrow and gave her a very skeptical look. "And I'm sorry if I'm being insulting, but all because a few shiny rocks say so?"

Kaya nudged his arm lightly and whispered, "I know that it all seems so hard to believe, but the Oracle's wisdom has always spoken the truth." She then looked to him with a skeptic look as she asked, "And haven't you seen enough to know that all of this is real?"

"I have but it's just so...... so hard to believe," Alex retorted. "I mean, this sort of thing doesn't happen in real life, It's just not possible."

"As much as your young mind tries to deny it, you know that what I told you is the truth," the old woman said, "The tree you stumbled upon in your time was the final resting place for an ancient God. A God that has died in this time, yet the energy that was left behind had fused to the tree," She gazed at Alex with her friendly eyes, "And possibly because you disturbed it, it must have sensed your presence and had you sent here for reasons even the stones will not tell me."

Though Alex wanted to reject the Oracle's explanations up to one of his aunt's stories, he knew that she was more than likely telling the truth. Because if she was, everything Alex had seen and witnessed for the past day would make much more sense to him. "This is… this is really happening," he said lowering his gaze to the floor, trying his best not to faint from all this weight on his shoulders.

"I assure you that it is, young traveler of time. The tree that you came in from might be able to send you back to your own time, though," The Oracle replied, and then saw Alex's face lit up after she had said the tree would send him back. But then she frowned as she continued on, "But there are things far more crucial to your existence that you must worry about, now."

"Like what?" Alex muttered, "What could possibly be more crucial than being trapped seven hundred years in the past, or going home after all this weirdness?"

"Lift up your right arm, and show everyone the golden band on your wrist."

Alex raised an eyebrow, then looked at Kaya who just nodded. He then lifted his arm up and showed everyone the wrist chain that the Oracle had created for him. He then looked to the Oracle and asked, "So do you mind telling me what this is? Kaya mentioned this was holding back a curse that's inside me."

"Traveler of time," the Oracle began, her composure unchanged. "Are you prepared to learn what fate the stones have foreseen in your future?"

The dark-haired youth did not look at her, for his eyes were locked on the wrist chain on his right, "A few minutes ago, I would've cried out like a baby in fear. But now, yeah. I'm ready to know; I've practically been ready ever since I nailed that machete into the demon's brain."

"Very well," the Oracle said, nodding, "The band shows that you have become a half-demon, or Hannyo, as we call it."

"A… a half-demon?"

"Yes," the Oracle answered as she explained into great detail, "The markings that were absorbed into the band are the marks of true evil. The marks are gone but the curse it left on you is still there. As time progresses, the poisons that saturate them will spread through your body, consuming your flesh and bones until their is nothing left to consume. It will then shatter your soul and take possession of your very body, turning you into a demon, just like the one that placed those marks upon you."

"So what you're saying," Alex began, trying to control the panic building up within him, "... is that I'm cursed."

"That is correct," the Oracle stated, but then she continued, "But there is hope for you. The band that you wear was forged from the boar's flesh and blood; acting as a link between the two powers. It will halt the spreading of the curse and safeguard your soul. But there is a downside. The band was created from the essence of the God that cursed you. Merging the essence with the curse has created an entity within the band, that has become a parasite to you."

"Parasite? You mean like a symbiote?" Alex asked, "A creature that needs a host body in order to survive?"

"Yes," the Oracle answered, "The essence will sense your anger and rage at all times. If it is peaked, it will cause the curse to strengthen and be unleashed, transforming you into a creature that possesses a demon's powers, and yet the cunning and craft of a human. However, the band will react against this and protect your soul," but then she gave him a warning, "But be forewarned. If the red gem, which is the source of the curse, is shattered, the curse will spread, adding the band to its power, transforming you into a full demon. A demon far more powerful and destructive than the one that you slew."

"Wise One!" Kaya said, "Is there no way we can stop this and save Alex?"

Ji-san nodded at this, "The Princess is right; there must be something we can do."

"The boy got this curse by defending our village and saving the life of our princess."

"Are we to just sit here and watch him cower in fear of dying or killing us all? No one deserves to have that burden on their shoulders."

"You cannot run or alter from your fate, traveler of time," the Oracle continued, "However, You can rise to meet it, if you choose… by learning how to control the power that has been given to you. Look here. Her hand disappeared into the folds of her large sleeve, and then she produced a jagged black sphere and dropped it onto the cloth, "Do you remember what happened after you killed the Demon God?"

"Sort of. I remember that black ooze covering it melted all away," He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "But before I blacked out I thought I saw this huge wild boar standing over me. Must've been the size of an RV; I mean, it was so big."

The oracle continued, "This ball of iron was found inside the boar's body. It tore its way deep inside his flesh, shattered his ribs and burnt away his innards."

"That's just lovely," Alex grimaced, looking like he was about to hurl, "And it'd probably be even lovelier if it had a point to the subject at hand. Just what does an iron ball have to do with anything?"

"This ball of iron," The Oracle answered ignoring the youth's tone, "…is what turned that boar into the Demon God which you fought."

Alex stood and slowly walked towards the Oracle. He sat down on the other side of the cloth and looked closely at iron ball, 'This thing was able to do all that?'

"There is evil at work in the western lands, traveler of time," the old woman said. "The stones say that it is your fate to start your journey there, and see what you can see with eyes unclouded by hate. You may even be able to find a cure that will lift the curse that plagues your body, if you choose to lift it."

"And just how am I supposed to do that?" Alex replied placing the iron ball on the cloth once again. I can't just go trekking across Feudal Japan. I probably wouldn't last a single day out there," he then looked away as he mumbled, "I was barely able to survive Junior high."

Smiling, the Oracle looked deep into his dark eyes, "Whether or not you choose to journey to the west is your decision," she said. She then picked up the iron ball and dropped in Alex's hand. "But I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to stay in our village much longer. You may have saved the life of our princess, but you are still an outlander, and all outlanders are considered unwelcome among our people."

Alex gripped the ball tightly in his hand and stood, This is almost too much for me to handle, right now," he said turning around and making his way for the shrine's entrance. "I just… I just need some breathing space."

"Alex," the Oracle said suddenly, using the boy's actual name for the first time. "By traveling to the west, you may also find a means of knowing why you were sent here in the first place… and maybe know if there's a way for you to return to your home."

The raven-haired youth stopped and thought about what the old woman had just said. He then sighed and continued to make his way back to the village.

Kaya looked at Alex as he disappeared from sight. She looked saddened, silently praying for some way to help him after he had done so much, and had suffered so much as well. "If you wish to help him, my Princess, help him prepare for the difficult journey that lies ahead," the Oracle stated, causing her to jump in surprise, "He will need food and a weapon to defend himself. He will also need a small amount of the golden pebbles to buy other supplies he might need along the way."

The Amishi Princess smiled as she bowed again and stood up, "I will do just that," With that, she quickly exited the shrine, leaving the old woman and the elders alone to be with her thoughts.

* * *

**After a While Later**

**Village's Path to the West**

When everything was tightly packed away in the animal skin sack that Kaya had given him, Alex picked it up by its leathery strap and looped it around his shoulder. The sack to his surprise was not as heavy as he had thought it would be.

"Everything that you'll need for the first half of your journey is all there, lad," said Ji-san, whom Alex had instantly recognized as the man from the tower. "We gave you a week's supply of rice, a few spice bulbs and a piece of smoked meat."

"Sounds yummy," Alex replied examining the Machete hanging from his jeans, something else Kaya had given him.

It all seemed so strange that these people, whom he had known for barely an hour were showing him this much generosity. When he had gone on that camping trip with his friends back in Florida, the only things his dad could give him was a half empty can of bug repellant. a bag of trail-mix and a flash light. The rest he had to improvise on camping training he had learned from his ex-Marine uncle in Nebraska.

Ji-san then handed Alex a small red pouch, "The Princess also told me to give you a few pieces of gold."

"Gold?" Alex asked staring at the pouch, in utter shock, and looked back to Ji-san to confirm it, "Did you just say that there's gold in this thing?"

"Our people don't have a true form of money, Lad," Ji-san replied. "And you're going to need money where you're going."

"But, uh… don't you think that the gold's sort of… well… over doing it?" Alex asked, still can't believing he was given such a commodity on this journey, "I mean, you and Kaya are practically the only ones giving me everything save for the kitchen sink."

The old man raised his thick, white eyebrows, "The.... kitchen....sink? What's that?"

Alex slapped himself in the head as he berated himself in thought, 'D'oh! That's right, I'm talking to a guy who probably doesn't even know what a kitchen is'. He shook his head. What I meant was, you people are being just a little..... I don't know, just a little too generous with me, that's all." but then he chuckled, "But seriously, in the future, Indoor Plumbing: it's gonna be big."

Ji-san chuckled at the outlander's humor and simply replied, "Believe it or not, lad, what we've given you is really not all that much in comparison to what we have stored away. And because we coexist with the world around us, there's almost never a shortage of food or resources. Those small nuggets of gold you have there hold no value to us. In our eyes, they're just pieces of metal we find in the ground where we plant our rice."

"I see your point, Nathan said, tying the pouch to a belt loop, "Though I still think the gold's gonna invite trouble for me in the future."

"But even more importantly, lad," Ji-san continued. "You risked your life and your humanity to save our Princess Kaya, even though you had absolutely no ties or loyalty towards us. You fought and killed a Demon-God by yourself with only a mere sword as your defense. You saved our village, Lad. In these aging eyes of mine, the sacrifice made on your part is worth a thousand times its weight in rice and gold."

Alex just nodded, understanding the old man's logic, but he shook his head as he let a small smile creep up on his face, "That may be, but to me, well… it was, well, it was the right thing to do. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." Feeling embarrassed at what he had just said, he ran his fingers over the black leather of his sack, checked to be sure his jacket was still tied around his waist, and looked himself over one last time. "Well… I guess I'm all set then," With a slight grin, he extended his hand towards Ji-san, "Thanks for everything, Gramps."

The white-bearded man looked at the young outlander quizzically for a beat, then slowly extended his own hand and clasped Alex's, "May the Gods be with you on your journey, Lad," he said with an elderly smile.

"Let's hope so, and that they're friendly," Alex replied with a half grin, "So far a really pissed off Boar God just made my life more difficult than it needs to be. The others probably don't like me very much now that I've killed one of their own."

It was after that, they both shared a brief laugh. He then turned around and started towards the western edge of the Amishi village. As he walked across the village's central ring, he notice that many of the villagers had left their huts to watch him. Many gawked at him as though he were a being from another world, while others just seem to glare disgustedly. Though their expressions varied, Alex could tell just by looking at them, the same desire in all of them: his immediate absence. It was a desire he had learned to recognize, even at some of the jocks, bullies, and troublemaking gangs he had seen.

When he finally reached the gates that lead into the forests, he found that Kaya was waiting for him. The young girl was leaning heavily on a wooden support and her injured ankle was tightly bandaged. 

He stopped as he stood in front of her, and asked, "What're you guys doing here?"

Kaya smiled, "I wanted to say goodbye," she then grabbed his hands in surprised and placed something in them, "I want you to have this so you'll come back to this village again."

He then opened his hand as he looked at what she had given him. It was a beautiful green crystal shaped like a dagger blade. He looked to her and smiled, accepting her gift, "It's beautiful, Kaya," but then he asked, "But I thought the laws forbid me from coming back here."

Kaya frowned as she stated, "Do you think I care? You're welcome here anytime you come back. Cursed or not!"

He looked down at Kaya, and smiled, 'She's just like my sister back home. Stubborn and cute.' "If it's alright, I'd like to give you something too." He reached into his jeans pockets and pulled out his Swiss-Army-Knife, "Here you go; I want you to have this."

"It's so strange looking. What is it?" Kaya asked, eagerly taking the little red object in her hand.

"It's called a Swiss-Army-Knife," Alex explained, "Those metal things on its side are different tools that you can pull out and use when you need them."

Kaya's large eyes gazed at the contraption as she pulled out the cork-screw. "Thank you," she said with a giggle.

But then she looked at him worried as she asked, "Are you sure that you'll be alright alone?"

Alex replied with a shrug, "I'll manage, though I don't know how exactly. Having an ex-Marine for an uncle who trains you on survival is useful knowledge in the wild. And three years of martial arts training as an extra curriculum for school just to learn how to defend yourself." He chuckled, "But then again, I don't know it'll be enough now that I've been thrown seven centuries in the past. So I guess I really don't know what to expect."

Kaya's smile returned as she shrugged as well, "No, I suppose don't know either." She then bowed respectably, "Good luck, Alex. No matter what comes to pass, you will forever live on in our memories and our hearts. And you are always welcome here in our village."

Alex was completely thrown off balance by Kaya's words of kindness, and felt his throat tighten. Alex bit his lip and locked eyes with the young Amishi Princess. "Thank you," he said softly, "… for everything." He then turned and walked through the gates.

Kaya stood and watched, along with Ji-san as he walked and stood at Kaya's side, in total silence as the young outlander for the future waved goodbye to them and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"No, Alex Killian… " Kaya said as a small tear fell from her eyelid as she smiled sadly, "Thank _you _for everything."

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Power Unleashed; Terrified of Yourself**

* * *

* * *


	6. The Power Unleashed

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Power Unleashed; Terrified of Yourself**

* * *

**A Few Days Later**

* * *

Alex continued to hike along the grassy hill, along the lands of ancient Japan. He was currently hiking towards the top of the grassy hill near a mountainous terrain. For three days now, he followed the trail of the Demon God had left behind. It wasn't hard for him to track the trail down; it left its trail everywhere it had went. It left the usual trench of death trail; a brown death amongst the grass and plants, as well as the trees it tore down that got in its path. However, when it had led him to the river, he had lost it.

Now he was just going west, following the dirt trails to wherever the forests or the manmade trails took him. If he ran into any wanderers, travelers, or merchants, he'd ask them about any rumors of a Demon God rampaging its way towards the East. Along the way he had traversed the lands, and for a while as he did this, he was captivated by the beauty this ancient and young age of Japan had to offer.

The first day he saw the beauty of the hills the first daybreak he left the Amishi Village. The way the clouds nearly touched the green hills, and the river running through them. It was beautiful to him; it was like looking at a painting in a museum. The colors and lighting were lovely; it gave the art life and captivated those who looked at it with such a warm feeling in their hearts.

* * *

**Later On**

* * *

"Alex," the young teenaged boy grumbled to himself as he shielded his face from the morning winds. "Sometimes you can be the biggest lunk-head of the 21st century." he continued to hike through the grasslands he was currently traversing through the land. Though he enjoyed seeing the beauty of the lands and forests, the boy was now beginning to fully realized the severity of the situation.

He stopped for a moment and crossed his arms, "My uncle's an ex-Marine who taught me basic survival and camping skills. That, and three years of martial arts training," he grumbled and shook his head, "What the heck was I thinking?" with a heavy sigh, Alex continued on his way.

"And finding a way back home?" he shook his head as he contemplated on the dilemma, "It's not like I can find H.G. Wells and ask him to build a Time Machine; that's in the 1700 or 1800s. And I know for sure that Dr. Emmet Brown's not gonna come driving here in his supped up Delorean or his Choo-choo Train."

However, he forgot his troubles once again as he reached the end of the grasslands and made his way on top of the hills. He stood there, motionless, gazing out at the vast miles of grassy planes and sparkling lakes that lay behind and ahead of him. Beyond all that and his troubles, stood what looked like an endless range of green mountains that towered over the land like great monuments. The incredible sight was like a scene from a painting or something in a beautiful dream, and Alex couldn't help but feel both touched and miniscule before the whole thing.

"But I guess it's true with what my dad says at times like this: whatever happens now, happens for a reason," he said laughing at his dad's little philosophy, and started down the hilled side, towards the green plains and mountains. "Man, I've really gotta stop talking to myself. I'm starting to act crazy here."

* * *

**The Next Few Days**

* * *

The next few days passed like a very slow dream. Each felt like forever as Alex continued to make his way westward, across the Japanese landscapes. In that time, he had seen forests, rivers and lakes, waterfalls, mountain ranges and many other sights that had literally taken his breath away. As an extra bonus for him, the surroundings proved to make for good resting grounds, for whenever Alex got the chance, he would just sit and camp for the night, taking sight at the night skies. When it turned night, the skies would light up with countless tiny stars that glittered like diamonds on a blackened table cloth left on the display. And the moon, or rather called God's Eye his mom would sometimes call, was what made it even more lovelier, all of it untouched by the technology of Man's light fixtures. It's true he missed the use of electricity, but the sight of the stars and moon clear in the night sky was worth it sometimes.

Though living alone in the wilderness and outdoors did prove to be quite a challenge to him at times. Even though he had been taught by his uncle Levy on camping alone, he seemed to find himself falling victim to nature. His uncle taught him everything; building tents out of what the terrain could offer if you didn't pack a tent, surviving off what the land could give you in the way of food, and mostly, how to use the terrain to your advantage if you ever get in a fight.

Though he wasn't prepared when it came obstacles to which he wasn't trained for. Like expecting the rainstorms that occur without warning, and the very hot climate of the days. But the real problems came about when the time came for him to eat. Since he was without matches or a lighter he had no way of starting a fire which meant of course, he had to eat his rice raw. Finding things to light a fire with wasn't hard for him, it was making sure it stayed lit, that was the problem. He considered himself lucky that he still had a good supply of smoked meat with him.

Along his journey the only other humans he had encountered were a few ox drivers guiding their oxen along the dusty roads, and a traveling merchant who had tried to sell him a bamboo flute. Though he declined, saying he wasn't very good a musician; his singing wasn't that well either, considering it sounded like an animal that needed to be put out of his misery.

Though everyone, whom Alex had encountered, tried their best to act as they normally did in their daily lives, they seemed somewhat disturbed by his presence. Then again, he was probably the first white person, or American, they had ever seen. Though it was probably his clothing that fueled their uneasiness; they had never seen such garments before. Probably didn't help much either because they also didn't have a clue whenever he used modern language with idioms or slang terms.

Of course, after spending years as a social recluse and hardly having the chance to make long-lasting friends, Alex had become used to that sort of treatment from people.

* * *

**A Week Later**

**Kakashi Village**

* * *

After six days of traveling, Alex finally came to his first village. Though it was a fairly small one, it was thriving in human activity. Merchants and traders haggled with the passing villagers, attempting to make a good sale, women walked along the dusty streets carrying heavy sacks over their shoulders and atop their heads, and frail looking beggars groveled at the feet of passerby's for food.

Alex even spotted a few samurai sitting around a rice vendor, drinking mouthful after mouthful of sake. As if that couldn't top them all, he even spotted a few men and women shuffling along with classic wooden shoes on their feet. The whole scene looked like something out of one of those Japanese samurai movies he always liked to watch.

As he continued to walk along the bustling streets of the village, Alex noticed that he seemed to attract a lot of attention from the people. He saw a few young boys gawking and pointing at him and whispering to one another, not their eyes off of his pale white face for a second. At first, Alex didn't really mind the people's behavior towards him. But now, after what seemed like the eleven-millionth time a group of people had pointed at him as though he were a potted plant, the dark haired youth was starting to become fairly annoyed. He shot the boys a sharp glare causing them to scurry away in fear.

"Snot-nosed little brats," Alex grumbled under his breath, "Parents should have taught them manners or something."

Suddenly, he heard screaming come from outside the village, and spotted a huge cloud of smoke rising from over the horizon of the village. He immediately ran out of the streets to a clearing, and saw a sight he wasn't ready for at this time. Near the rice and river fields, he saw farmers being attacked by rogue samurai. He could tell they were rogue samurai bandits because of the way they were dressed. Normal samurai who worked for a shogun, lord, or emperor were dressed in fine armors that were polished and brightly colored; almost as if they were brand new. These guys were dressed in armor that had seen better days, and were missing a few pieces to them.

Alex raised an eyebrow, trying to figure this whole thing out, "Is this a battle?" however, he got a better look at the scene, and saw no samurai opposing the bandits. His face scolded as he realized the obviousness of the situation, "No… it's a massacre."

One of the rogue samurai charged at one of the farmers, "Where do you think you're running off to?" the farmer, who was armed with only a sack of rice on his back, and a plow in his hands, fought back as best he could. Though it wasn't enough, as the samurai chopped his arm off holding the plow. The farmer fell down being unbalanced, allowing the bandit to stab him profusely without any show of mercy.

One of the rogue samurai shouted out, "They're unarmed! Move in!"

* * *

**With the Bandits**

* * *

The frontline of the bandits were the ones that was doing the massacre. The rest of them were standing by to be prepared for when they would go in and have the rest of the dirty work done. But standing alongside the frontlines of those left behind sat a warrior upon a noble black steed.

But this samurai bandit was different from his comrades, much more different. He was of Asian decent, possibly in his twenties but looked like he was about to start in them very soon. His darkened hair was long and tied into a bun on his head, and his body was slim yet physically well built. He wore red samurai armor with golden tips to it, and had on his side two samurai swords in black hilts. He was currently holding on to the reins of his steed with his left hand, while holding on to a spear with his free right hand. The man's face looked at the massacre with hardened sharpness; it was almost as if gazing upon this battle with his dark brown sharp eyes and frown somewhat gave him a secretive pleasure in watching unfair battles… or he just loved the sight and scent of battles altogether.

One of the bandits ran up to him and reported, "Sir, the villagers are either running or are surrendering," but he smirked as he confidently, acknowledged, "But they're unarmed as we predicted, Lord Takemaru."

The samurai, Lord Takemaru, turned to his subordinate, ordered, "Kill those who surrender; we have no need for slaves or prisoners."

The samurai nodded, and ran to the men, telling them of their lord's orders. Takemaru then looked out to the battle as he told himself, with a heartless resolve of that of a mercenary, "A warrior such as myself carries with him the destiny of Supreme Conqueror. I have no need of such weaknesses as compassion or mercy." he then drew his sword out and looked over to his men, shouting, "Soldiers, heed me now! Let us charge into battle and pave the road of our destiny with the blood of those who either are weak or get in our paths!"

The bandit army shouted with excitement; their weapons high in the air as they shouted praises to their leader. Takemaru then shot his sword forward as he yelled out, "Charge!" and headed straight on towards the village, with his men following him, not even knowing what awaited them in the village.

* * *

**Back in the Village**

* * *

Alex couldn't help but hate this conflict as he stood there on the hill. There was nothing fair, nor honorable about attacking defenseless villagers. Even though he was at a good distance away from the actual fighting, Alex could hear the sounds of clashing swords and the agonizing screams of dying men. Ignoring the fleeing villagers, he grew rather angry at this, tightening his fists almost to the point where his nails nearly dug into his palms. However, as he did so, he didn't notice the red gem in the Golden Curse Chain begin to glow… and pulsate like a heart would.

However, something else turned his attention as he heard the bandits shout out, "Look there, up on the hills," Alex turned and saw that he had been spotted out by one bandit, in which led a couple of archers as he shouted out, "It's an outlander!"

One of the archers chucked, "Good! His head is mine!"

The archers got their arrows at the ready, and then finally fired at Alex. He gulped as he shouted, "Wait! Hold it!" he flailed his arms, indicating he wasn't armed at the moment, "You've got it all wrong! I'm just a…"

Luckily, Alex sprinted away before the arrows struck. He ran as fast as he could; though the archers continued to fire at him as he ran towards the buildings. They provided for him great cover as they struck the stone walls of the huts.

As he ran across the narrow path, more arrows were fired at him, each just barely missing him by centimeters. He covered his head with his hands, keeping it low and praying he got out of this alive. When he looked up he saw yet another samurai standing over a fallen woman, chopping at her with his katana, and laughing wildly. Had it not been for the large sack of rice draped over her back, she would be dead by now.

The violent sight sparked something deep inside Alex's mind, and he unsheathed the blade Kaya had given him. "Hey, leave her alone!" he shouted. As he charged towards the samurai, he drew his arm back ready to strike. Then, as if something had burst within his veins, the muscles in his arms suddenly began to bulge and ripple painfully.

And then suddenly, thin golden tentacles sprouted from the band, wrapping around his forearm and snaking around his fingers, as the gem glowed bright red with rage. The tentacles had hardened around his forearm and hand, shielding it in some sort of armor that resembled veins. And oozing from his arm, to fill in the gaps the armor had made, his forearm and hand were now encased in an armored film resembling the same black ooze that the Demon God boar was covered in.

Before Alex could take full notice of the grotesque and bizarre spectacle, his hand lashed out and sliced through both the samurai's arms. the samurai looked at this in shock; both at his arms on the ground, and at the strange lad with the bizarre hand. But it wasn't over, as Alex, without even thinking about it, shot forward and grabbed the Samurai's face with his cursed hand.

The samurai tried to struggle, but without any hands, all he could do was muffle with screams, pleading for the boy to stop. Alex tried to do so, but found out that his hand was acting on its own. 'Is this what the Oracle warned me about?' he then grabbed his hand as he shouted to it, "No! stop it! don't take his life!" but it was too late, as with the sickening sounds of bone being crushed, Alex's right hand had smashed the bandit's head in.

The samurai's body fell limp to the ground; Alex stopped and fell to his knees, gripping his arm even tighter, "Oh, God it hurts so much! Why's it burning like this? What the hell's happening to me?"

"Over there!" Alex turned to see six or seven bandits charging right at him.

Alex brushed the pain aside as he looked around to find something to fight with. He then spotted a plow and rushed over to scoop it up. Using the strength of his newfound armored hand, he broke off the bladed end, and held it behind him, almost using the stick as a bo staff.

The bandits had finally rushed over to him and surrounded him. Their weapons unsheathed and at the ready. One of them, ordered out, "Just who are you, Outlander?"

"That's all I am," Alex answered, struggling with the newfound power that birthed from him, "I'm just a passing Outlander."

"No," one of them said as he readied their blade, "What you are is a _passing on _Outlander!"

Alex felt like this power within him was trying to take him over, just like a parasite would do. He began to feel his forearm and hand burn and rising within him. He calmly breathed to himself as he thought, 'Okay, Alex. Try and remember your martial arts training. Strength is like fire; handle it with care and correctly, and it will act in your favor.' he closed his eyes, calming himself down a bit, trying to exert some calmness in his rattled head.

The samurais, finally getting fed up with this outlander making a move, charged right at him. When the first one got to him, all alex had to do, was kick him straight hard in the gut, causing him to bow forward in pain. He then kicked him again straight inot the chest, sending him shooting forward into the dirt. Alex twirled the staff in his hands with effortless skill and grace as he brought back behind him. But then he brought back in front of him, but this time he held it by his side.

The next samurai charged right at him with an upper vertical slash. But as he sent it crashing down on the lad, Alex lifted the staff and blocked it. He then kicked him with his right foot, sending the man flying back. Two more rushed at him on both sides; the first one received a quick blow to his side from Alex as he doubled over to the ground. The other one attempted to slash at him, but this time, he used his cursed armored hand to block the sword. He then grabbed the man's hand, and while controlling the force surging within his structure, crushed every bone in his hands, causing him to scream out in pain.

He then let go as he twirled around, striking the man in the back of the hand iwht the staff. The others slashed at him with their swords, attacking together, but Alex blocking every one of their attacks with the staff or the armored hand. And they all ended up the same way; getting kicked very hard that sent them flying away from him or ending up with broken bones. The samurai were all defeated around him; Alex stood in his stance for only a few seconds until he dropped his staff.

He grabbed the blade and sheathed it back in, and ran out of there as fast as he could.

However, his little tussle didn't go unnoticed as Takemaru and those who followed him charged right at him. He shouted, "Get him! Kill the outlander!" the samurai all charged and screamed as they had their blades ready to slice through his flesh.

Alex then felt the power in his right hand and forearm flaming up again. He felt like he was losing control again; he looked to the approaching samurai as he shouted, "Let me go in peace! I'm warning you!"

But the samurai didn't listen to him as they drew in closer. Unable to control it any further, his right fist balled up, and lifted up over his head, as he looked at it in horror. The power in him was proving too great, that he screamed in rage and pain as he drew a past punch to the ground at his feet. The ground underneath shook and caved in, creating a crater around the boy, but created a very powerful aftershock blast wave, that sent Takemaru and his men thrown back as the dust settled.

Takemaru and his men, though thrown off balanced, slowly got on to their feet. When Alex finally regained some control over his hand again, he looked in horror, "I got to get out of here." Unable to think rationally, or afraid that he might lose it further, he scrambled to get away from the horrific scene and ran towards the safety of the nearby forest.

Takemaru was about to go after the boy on foot, but stopped as he felt his ankle sprained in pain. It seems that the blast had caused him to sprain it, making it impossible for him to catch the boy now. He then spot the outlander disappear into the darkened and wild forest. The few samurai who had witnessed the butchery of their comrade watched with gawking expressions as the white-skinned outlander disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

"What was he?" one asked.

Another frowned and gripped his sword tightly. "A demon," he answered.

Takemaru, however, looked at the boy in a mixture of fear, and wonder, "That boy's power… " he then narrowed his eyes in scheming on something, as his let a small smile, "… I want it."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Deep in the Forest **

Alex was in a small oasis, washing his right arm in a spring. He saw this done by Kaya when he was soon infected by the curse. He figured this was the best method to cool down the curse down a bit. And it worked much to Alex's relief; the black ooze began to melt off his arm, and the gold armor received back into a wrist chain. After it had returned to normal, the red gem's glow began to die down until it stopped glowing altogether.

"You lost it, completely," he said to himself as he drew his hand back and looked at the band, "If I hadn't have run out of there, who knows what would happen if I had kept on killing." he then walked over to where he placed his bag at, and slumped down, hanging his head in shame as he mumbled, "And now you're nothing but a lousy murderer."

He looked back at the pool of the spring, hoping to find an answer through his reflection. In the process, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the rippling water. A dark look crossed his face, "I guess I'm no better than those samurai."

He had to get out of where he was right now. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. All he knew was that as long as he had control over his body he had to get as far away from this place and its people as quickly as he could.

Before he injured or killed someone else.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Eyes of a Fox-Squirrel; Priest of a Thousand Faces**

* * *


	7. Eyes of a FoxSquirrel

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Eyes of a Fox-Squirrel; Priest of a Thousand Faces**

* * *

**Later On**

**Outside the Forest**

* * *

For what felt like hours, Alex had walked along the side of a country road in complete and total silence. But even though he was quiet, his thoughts remained engrossed and greatly disturbed. What disturbed him was what had occurred, or rather had he had done back at the village. "Now I understand what the Oracle had told me about the curse," he said to himself, with a grimaced look on his face, "… and why they wanted me out of the village as well."

"She and the Elders probably thought I was gonna lose it if I went into a mood swing." he stopped and sat himself on the edge of the road. "Just what happened back there?" he then looked at the golden binding wrist chain on his right wrist with a fearful expression.

He had remembered what had happened when he suddenly got angry. The metal just morphed and stretched out, encompassing his arm and hand in a vein-like armor that suppressed the black ooze that formed up. He figured that it must have been part of the curse; the ooze would try and encompass him while the metal bonded to his body shielding him from the curse itself… or maybe the curse and the metal had formed together to create some kind of cursed symbiotic armor, like in the comic books.

"I guess I really am becoming a half-demon," he said, resting his arms on his knees, "I never should have stepped near that tree. I should have just left it alone." but this wasn't the time to mope; he had something to start and finish. With another defeated sigh, he stood up and proceeded once again down the road. "As if getting thrown in the most brutal time of Japan's history, I've become hose of a symbiotic demon parasite, that's giving me destructive powers… which I have no control over." he sighed as he groaned, "I can't see how things can get any worse."

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed through the skies, followed by the rumble of thunder. The next thing Alex knew, rain was pouring down from the clouds above by the gallons.

"You know…" he said sardonically, "… I've got at stop saying that."

He then looked up at the sky, wiping away the rain drops from his face, "I could be home right now, playing video games with Kari, skateboarding on the streets and the park. Heck, I'd take helping Dad in the clinic, sewing up gashes and split lips at this point. But now, I'm on a effortless quest to not only save my life and soul, but also to find a way back home." slipping the bag strap to ensure it didn't fall, Alex shook his head, causing water droplets to fall around him, as he started walking again, "Why does everything have to be so difficult?"

But before he could move onward, he heard the sound of an approaching cart. When he looked through the rain, he saw a small wheeled cart being pulled by a single black ox. When the cart rolled up alongside Alex, the driver who wore a straw cloak that completely shrouded him, looked down to him and smiled. "You need a ride to the next village, Boy?" the man asked with a deep but friendly voice, "I've got plenty of room if you do."

Alex raised an eyebrow at this sudden offer of aid. So far, he had been traveling for more than what felt like a week or more, and not once did anybody he had met along the way, show even the least bit of kindness, concern, or regard towards him. All Alex could do was smile simply to him as he honestly replied, "To tell you the truth, I don't really know where I'm going."

"You mean you don't have a destination?"

"Not really," Alex simply answered as he shrugged, "Wherever my destination may be, all I know is that I'm supposed to head west to reach it."

The driver looked at him confused, but then finally laughed, "Those are pretty vague directions, boy," he said, then looked up at the raining clouds. "And today's definitely not the day to be traveling across Japan with vague directions."

"Well, I'm afraid I really don't have much of a choice," Alex replied, "I've got to get where I'm going as soon as possible."

"You have a place to stay for the night?"



Alex merely shook his head to answer, and the driver patted the place next to him and smiled, "Then please let me offer you shelter at my house for the night. I'm sure that my wife wouldn't mind preparing an extra meal for you."

Alex looked up at the clouds as he had done so just moments earlier, then looked at the man himself. Ah, why not. With that, he pulled himself onto the cart and sat next to the driver, "I really appreciate this, Mr., uh…"

"The name's, Fujita, the driver replied, whipping the ox with the reins. The animal cried out from the sudden pain, and began to make its way forward. Fujita made a few more whips with the reins and then looked back at Alex, "And what would your name be?"

"It's Alex. Alex Killian."

Fujita chuckled, "Ahh, then you _are_ an outlander. But I could tell that just by looking at you, lad."

Alex gave an aggravated sigh, as he sarcastically replied half heartedly, "Really? What gave me away?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just several things about ya," the cloaked man answered, "But it was mostly your clothing, and your tanned skin. We don't see many people like you around these parts."

* * *

**Kugi-tai Village**

* * *

Along the way to the village which was like hours for the two, along the ride Alex and Fujita had been talking pleasantly. As they continued onward, the rain had stopped and the skies began to clear. Most of it was where Alex was going and why he was going to there. He had told the cloaked man this whole story; what with the curse and all. "So what you're telling me," Fujita said, scratching his bristled chin, "is that unless you find a way to lift the curse, or at least control it, you'll eventually become a full demon yourself?"

"Yeah, or something along that line," Alex replied as he looked at the forest/countryside.

Fujita shook his had and sighed, "You've got yourself some very bad luck there, my friend. Must be pretty lonely traveling out there by yourself. In an unknown country away from all your people. Breaks your very heart."

Alex nodded, though he avoided telling him that he was from the Future. Trying to convince the driver that his Demon God encounter as being true was hard enough. Telling them that he was from the future would have pushed them to believe that he was completely out of his mind. "I do the best that I can," he said. "And to tell you the truth, I'm used to being alone."

"Oh come, now, young man," the middle-aged man replied slapping him gently on the back. "No one likes to be alone in this world."

"Well the fact that my family's always on the move back home explanation on its own. Because of that, I didn't have a lot of time to make any long-term friendships," The dark haired youth shrugged. I guess you just get used to it after awhile.

"Well that may be how it is, where you come from," Fujita said, "I still can't believe that a God would attack a small village like that. Demon or not, everyone knows that the ancient Gods have always preferred to distance themselves from the mortal world." Though the cartman let a sad smile show on his face, "They're probably angry at us humans."

Alex had a look of confusion; silently asking the man what he meant by that. Almost sensing or thinking on what was, he sighed, "With the way humans treat the land the ancient spirits had labored to create, why shouldn't the Gods be angry?" he then chuckled a bit as he finished, "But we do what we do to survive. The Gods should at least respect that."

It was while the conversation went quiet as they entered near the village, he reached into his jean pockets and pulled out the ball of iron the Oracle had given him before he left the Amishi village. "What can you tell me about this? He dropped the ball into the large palm of the cartman.

Fujita looked at the little ball of iron carefully, studying it centimeter by centimeter. He then brought it to his nose and sniffed at it, which to Alex was an awkward scene to play out of. "Well," he began, "It's definitely made from iron, fairly pure iron too." He looked up at Alex, "Where did you get this?"

"It was found in the remains of the Demon God after it revealed itself as a gigantic boar," Alex explained, "I'm pretty sure that this iron ball was what turned him into the monster that cursed me."

"Hmmm," the man replied looking at the iron ball one more time before returning it to Alex. "I'm afraid that apart from what I've told you, there's nothing else I can say about this ball."

"Do you have any idea where it came from?" Alex deposited the ball inside his pocket, "Any idea at all where it was made?"

Fujita shook his head, "I'm afraid that I don't." Alex sighed in hopelessness at yet another dead end on his journey. it was quiet as the they came into town as the cart stopped. But before Alex could hop off, Fujita then spoke up again, "However…"

Alex immediately lit up by that as he raised his eyebrows, "However?"

"Most of the iron around these parts comes from Lady Eboshi's Iron Town."

"Lady Eboshi's Iron Town?" Nathan asked as he hopped off the cart, "Who's Lady Eboshi?"

"She's supposedly the daughter of one this province's Governors. One way or another she was able to get her hands on a large plot of land that's rich with iron. It's said that the grounds are so full of the stuff you just need to reach your hand in and pull out a chunk.

"I don't suppose you know where this 'Iron Town' is by any chance, would you? The dark haired youth asked with a hopeful look.

"I'm afraid that I don't, friend," Fujita answered, "But if it's directions you want, you might want to try asking around here in Kurenai," He then hopped off the cart as he made his delivery of furs and cloaks, "This is one of the places Lady Eboshi does trade with. But to tell you the truth, I wouldn't go there if I were you."

"And why's that?" Alex asked, slightly worried on that last part.

"This province is constantly being raided by armies of samurai." Fujita stated as he went for the second load, "They appear by the hundreds without warning; slaughtering anyone who strays into their sight. It makes traveling around these parts rather dangerous. I'm pretty sure you saw them attack somewhere near by, am I right?"

"Yeah, I was in one of those villages. Luckily I survived it with a few others," Alex stated, leaving out the fact that he had chopped the arms and crushed the head of one of the bandits, as well as created a huge crater in the ground, "Who's samurai are they?"

Fujita shrugged, "In times like these, they could belong to anyone who has enough money to afford them. But rumor has it that they hold their allegiance to Lord Osano, the Daimyo of the lands north of here. But rumors that his daughter, Yashahime, was the one who is in control of the armies; the one who hired them."

"Yashahime?" Alex asked.

"Aye, the Devil Princess, as they call her," Fujita stated as he took a break and a swig of some sake, "They say that she was cursed by some sort of Dark Demon on the day her mother was killed by the Former Wolf God, Hyakushiki. It was only until she was older, did she hire rogue samurai to hunt and kill the god."

Alex grimaced as he gulped nervously, and replied sarcastically, "That just sounds beautiful."

He crossed his arms and gave Alex a stern look. "You run into those people and you'll be as good as dead."

"I'll take my chances," Alex replied, "I have to find a way to lift this curse before I do more damage than I already have."

"I suppose you're talking about that bandit you tore apart around back in that village, Fujita said and glance at the youth's shocked expression, "Don't look so surprised, you did it in front of an entire village, a village I do business in." With a lopsided grin, he patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, those men were no friends of mine."

Alex shook his head slowly, and looked at the busy market square that he'd go through to get supplies with a saddened look, "I almost killed the whole bandit army, and destroyed the village and villagers while I was at it. The power was like water pouring out of a geyser, I couldn't stop or control it, just let it run its course until it died down or until I calmed down." He looked up at Fujita who was just looking at him quietly, "I sound crazy, don't I?"

"No," the blacksmith answered, "Just scared."

"Afraid?"

As the two continued to talk, they had not noticed a royal carriage moving past them. It stopped suddenly only fifteen feet away from them, but anyone had bothered to pay much attention, they would have noticed it was no ordinary carriage. Instead of being pulled by a flock of horses, it was being pulled by what appeared to be a steam-powered vehicle that ran on two wheels and that was shaped like a rhino. And on top of the carriage were what appeared to be triangle

The carriage had blinds on them preventing anyone from looking in. Whoever it was, they were people of great importance, and felt the need to shield themselves of those of low class. That or they just didn't like to be gawked at. However, one of the blinds were pulled apart, allowing a pair of emerald eyes to peer out from the side… and they were looking right at Alex.

"Oh," a sultry female voice came from within the carriage, "He's a fine one, isn't he?"

The voice belonged to a girl, Asian decent, pale skin, a slim and slender figure, and very beautiful. But the odd thing about her was her hair; it was long and clipped into a ponytail on the left side and with bangs going down her shoulders, with a White Lotus flower. But that wasn't the odd thing about it; the odd thing was that her hair was the unnatural color of ivory white. Her kimono was also white as well, and dangled off her shoulders, exposing what appeared to be a nylon shoulder less under shirt. In truth, she was the most breathtaking beauty there ever was… and she also had with the appearance of that of a ghost.

There was also another in the cart, and was a man. He appeared to be of foreign origins, as his skin was dark tanned, his hair was short and blonde, almost military cut. He was dressed in what appeared to be in red and brown military robes, with a sword on his hilt, and what appeared to be a crude gun of sorts. He had a scowl on his face and a stick pipe in his mouth.

He grumbled as he looked out and saw Alex as well, and merely stated, "He is an outlander, Princess," he then looked to the princess as he reminded, "The only rarity is that such an outlander is seen in your lands."

"That may be true," and then turned to her companion's direction, "But he is a diamond in the rough; a little rough around the edges. He will shine brightly, when properly polished."

"Princess Yashahime, the army is making its way to Iron Town," the man stated, "We must hurry if we are to rendezvous with Jigo and Takemaru."

The Princess pouted and turned her gaze to Alex once more, "But I want him."

"You can have him later, Princess."

Pouting in defeat, she sat back down, "Fine. Let's go," and with that, the carriage moved on, everyone, including Alex and Fujita ignoring it, as the two went on with their conversation.

"Yes," he continued. "Afraid of you're own new gifts and abilities. Listen my friend, that kind of power can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on how you use it. I know nothing about magic and sorcery, but I do understand the power of a particularly dangerous element. He then gave the lad a lop-sided grin, "Do you know what that element is?"

Alex just shook his head, "Fire." Alex looked at him slightly confused until Fujita continued, "It's probably the most dangerous element humans will ever try to harness. If you handle the fire correctly, it will act in your favor. But the moment you become careless with it, the fire becomes an uncontrollable monster."

Alex listened to the cartman's words attentively, taking in everything he said. Alex nodded as he strapped the bag back on his shoulder, "Thanks for the ride."

He was about to be on his way, until Fujita called out, "Wait, lad," Alex stopped as he turned around. Suddenly, Fujita threw something at him, and Alex caught it. Alex got a good look at it, and saw it was a brown cloak with the top made of wolf fur, and a hood to go with it. "You might not be lucky next time in the rain. So this'll help," Fujita smirked, "That, and it's made of Wolf's fur to throw off the scent of animals; you don't want to smell human if you're somewhere near such beasts."

"Thanks, but how much to I owe?" Alex asked, as he reached for the bag on his belt.

Fujita shook his head, "Consider it a gift." and then went back on to his work, allowing the boy to slip it on.

As Alex walked away, he smirked, "Guess I won't have to worry about smelling like a human," he then took a sniff and nearly gagged, "Though I wish I couldn't smell anything at this time."

* * *

**In Town**

* * *

Alex had made his way into town with no problems, and no stares were on him at this time. It was because of his new addition to his wardrobe, he now avoided being spotted. However, he didn't go unnoticed as a pair of green eyes spotted him not from far.

The eyes then spotted the band on Alex's wrist as the band was shown; the red gem gleaming in the sunlight. "If I'm not mistaken… that's a Half-Breed's Lock Band," a voice could be heard from where the eyes were, "Haven't seen a couple of those in a while, ever since I left the Toxic Jungle." but then as the cloak brushed open a little, the eyes spotted the figures clothing, "What weird clothing," but then the eyes widened with surprise, "Could he be the one?"

Alex walked by what appeared to be a pet store of sorts. But as he did, someone shouted, "Hey, fellah! Stop right there; and I'll make ya a deal!" Alex kept walking onward, that is until the voice shouted, "Hey, you! The kid with the bad sense of fashion!"

This caused him to turn around and storm towards where he heard the voice: the Pet Store. He stopped in front of the owner, a frail and nervous-looking fellow, who would pee his own pants if easily scared. "Alright, what do you want with me?" Alex asked, feeling slightly annoyed.

The man gulped as he nearly shivered, "I… It wasn't me, my lord."

"Don't call me 'Lord'," Alex growled, feeling annoyed at this point, "And I heard a voice coming from over here. So if it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"Over here, Doofus," the voice called out again, this time to the right of him.

Alex turned to see where the voice was heard from, only to find a cage. And within it, something Alex had never seen before in his life. Inside the cage, was a strange little creature that looked like a kitten but it wasn't. it had the skeletal structure of a fox, but the size and characteristics of a squirrel. Its fur was golden yellow with brown stripes on his body and down the front forehead, brown tips on its big pointy ears, and a light crème colored collar puff around the neck, as well as light green eyes.

The little squirrel/fox hybrid, sensing the human's presence, opened it's grayish eyes and sprung to it's feet. It then turned towards Alex and looked at him. The animals eyes focused on the young human as it tilted its head to one side. Alex thought that the way the animal was looking at his face was almost as if it were studying him.

Alex looked at the little creature with intrigue, and asked himself, "What is this? Some kind of cat?"

"Cat? I'm no cat, I'm a Fox-Squirrel," the little creature responded while moving his mouth.

Alex immediately jumped back, completely freaked out by this as he shouted and pointed, "AH! It talked!"

The little Fox-Squirrel chuckled, "Eheheheh. Ya got that right, fellah," and then hopped up as he placed his front paws on the cage to hold himself up, "The name's Isaac, kiddo. And it's your lucky day for a purchase." seeing the human's confusion, he closed his eyes, giving a salesman smile, "I'm on sale for the low price of 200 yen." he then opened his eyes, but then looked confused as he saw the boy was gone. He looked around, and saw the boy walking away, still in a half-daze about what had just transpired.

Isaac frantically jumped around the cage, causing it to jump around with him, shouting to the boy, "HEY, COME ON! DON'T WALK AWAY FROM A GOOD PRICE! I'M A RARE COMMODITY HERE!" he jumped around so much, that he caused the cage to fall straight to the ground, opening it up. Isaac zoomed out of the cage in a little furry flash, like a squirrel would, right after Alex. He then hopped on by his cloak, and using his claws, climbed up onto the boy.

With his hood down, he spotted the little Fox-Squirrel on his shoulder. He freaked as he jumped, trying to get the little critter out, "Hey, get off me!" but the little fellow kept disappearing around him; it didn't help at all knowing this critter was probably part squirrel, making it easy for him to crawl and climb on his body. "Seriously, I have enough problems as it is," and then finally, grabbed Isaac as he brought him up to his face as he growled, "The last thing I need now is another curse or just a cursed creature following after me."

"I ain't cursed, kid," Isaac explained, allowing Alex to ease his grip on him, "I'm a Forest Spirit."

Alex let him go, as Isaac ran up on his arm and perched himself on his shoulder. Alex's frown stayed on his face as he answered, "I've seen a Forest Spirit, and you're not a Forest Spirit."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," Alex answered, "The first one I saw was a giant boar that nearly tried to kill me."

Isaac shook his head, "Nah, that's a Forest God; I'm a Forest Spirit. There's a difference between the two." he smirked, "A Forest God is both gifted in Strength and Immortality, unable to die as easily as you think. While a Forest Spirit, on par with the Gods, are servants gifted in powers deemed in order to serve the Gods in anyway," he then sat on Alex's shoulder proudly as he announced, "And I serve one of the Great Forest Gods, next in par with Shisha Gami."

"That's nice," Alex stated, which caused Isaac to nearly flat out stare at the boy in shock.

"Oh, come on!" Isaac frowned as he went hysterical, "How can you not find that impressive to purchase me?"

"Because I don't buy strange talking animals," Alex responded, deciding to go with this latest piece of insanity that was thrown in his face, "… and aside from the fact that a bizarre creature, whom I've never seen in any zoology book, or on Animal Planet episode, is speaking to me in plain English… what exactly can you do that would make me what to keep you."

"I can help you with your curse," Isaac answered, earning a surprised look on Alex's face. He then looked to Alex with a smile as he continued, "I can lead you to where you need to go, as well as help you point out what and who can help you within the forest, including the Tribes that reside within them."

Alex thought about it for a moment, and in truth, he really didn't know jack squat what he would expect to find. So far, he had been lucky to take only the forests where there wasn't any Gods or Demons in them. The last thing he needed to do was get in trouble and get cursed twice. So far, he really didn't want to get in any more trouble than he already was.

Sighing in defeat, he crossed his arms and looked to the little fuzz ball, "It's your funeral."

Isaac smirked as he looked to Alex face-to-face, "Alright then," and then pointed to the pet market owner, "Then pay up the man." all this earned was a confused look on his face. This caused Isaac to blurt out in an frustrated tone, "Hurry it up! The sooner you pay for me, the faster I can get on with you as your familiar!"

He suddenly zoomed around all over Alex, trying to find something to pay the shopkeeper. Alex twirled and twisted around, trying to grab Isaac as he blurted and screamed out, "Hey, come on! Stop that! Hold still!"

Finally, Isaac hopped off and scurried over to the shop keep. He hopped on the table, and spat out one of the gold nuggets that Alex had in the small bag given to him by the Amishi. Isaac smirked as he proudly presented him, "There you are, Kashiro. Pay in full with one gold nugget. This should get the store up and going."

The shop keep was stunned by this, but then he started to cry comically as he blubbered, "But… but, Boss! How am I gonna manage the store without your business skills?"

"Hey, come on," Isaac said as he walked over and padded Kashiro on his hand, "You'll run the store fine without me. We both knew this day was gonna come along. Just know that fate will probably have us cross paths again."

"Oh, thank you, Isaaku," Kashiro blubbered happily, trying to wipe away his tears.

"Don't call me that, please?" Isaac pouted, "I changed my name to Isaac, remember?"

Alex raised an eyebrow in confusion at this whole thing, and sweat dropped as his shoulders slumped at this scene, "So the animal was the store owner? Wonder if anyone else knew about this? And if they did, what would they do about it?"

* * *

**Elsewhere in the Village**

* * *

Near a miso soup stand, someone was sitting at it, looking rather distasteful at his bowl of miso. He was a very ugly lump of a man walking towards him on what looked like a pair of short stilts that stuck out from the bottom of his wooden sandals. A large parasol and basket were slung over his shoulders. The man was very short and had a pudgy face with a large, red wart that bulged out between his eyebrow and his equally red nose. From the look of the dirty white tunic that covered his round belly, the red cap and cloak, and the set of ceremonial beads dangling from his hand it was a good bet that this man was a member of some religious order. He was known to some as Jigo, a holy monk of sorts from what people had heard about him.

Jigo grimaced after taking his first sip of the miso soup that had just been poured into his bowl. This day had not gone well for him, not at all. It was bad enough that he had to make that trip to the Imperial Capital on such short notice to report to the damn Emperor.

Now he was stuck in backwater Kugi-tai, after just narrowly escaping yet another raid from Osano's samurai, eating lukewarm soup, 'At this rate it'll be another two weeks before I finally reach iron town_.' _He licked his upper lip and grunted, "This place selling soup or donkey piss," he said as he squatted idly on the wooden stilts of his sandals.

The soup vendor shot him an irritated look from behind the cloth wrapped around her face. Jigo just ignored her and let his sharp ears wander about the street until they came upon one conversation that pricked his interest. He tilted his head to his left and looked at a group of men across the street.

"...and the moment I looked up, there he was. His demonic right hand raised up in the air as he nearly split the earth around him. It sent the samurai bandits flying back, almost as if they were hit by a tornado."

"Any idea where he comes from?"

"Haven't the faintest."

"They say he's actually a half-demon from lands beyond."

"Humph!" Jigo said as he continued to drink the bitter tasting soup, "The only demons those people will ever see are the ones they have to share their beds with." He too had seen the young outlander pass through the battle, as well as witnessed the extraordinary powers he had used on that samurai as well as the fighting skills he used to fight off a whole gang of bandits. The first moment he had laid eyes on the tanned-skinned youth, he immediately recognized something valuable in his abilities. Something very valuable, indeed. And as soon as he got the chance he was going to find a way to exploit that value.

"Well look at what the wolves dragged in," a man sitting next to him said.

Jigo glanced in the same direction the man was looking and grinned. Standing in front of a rice merchant was none other than the young outlander himself dressed in a wolf-skinned cloak, and what appeared to be a Fox-Squirrel on his right shoulder. Tossing a rusty coin into the soup vendor's lap, he stood and brought his bowl to his wide mouth.

"I suppose the Gods must really like me today," he said as he slurped up the last of his soup.

Alex stood quietly as the young woman sitting across from him poured a large amount of rice into a bag and handed it to him. "This should cover the cost," he said, placing a small gold nugget in her hand.

The rice merchant looked at the yellowish lump as if it were a piece of animal droppings. Obviously she had no idea what it was that she was actually holding, "Just what the hell are you trying to pull?" she snapped, shoving her open palm at Alex. If you're not going to pay with real money, then give me back my rice, you little thief!

"Who are you calling a thief," Alex asked as he raised an eyebrow, "That is real money…"

"Excuse me," someone cut him off, "But might I inspect that.

Alex looked to where the voice had come from, and saw a very ugly lump of a man walking towards him on what looked like a pair of short stilts that stuck out from the bottom of his wooden sandals. A large parasol and basket were slung over his shoulders. The man was very short and had a pudgy face with a large, red wart that bulged out between his eyebrow and his equally red nose. From the look of the dirty white tunic that covered his round belly, the red cap and cloak, and the set of ceremonial beads dangling from his hand it was a good bet that this man was a member of some religious order.

The rice merchant shrugged then dropped the yellow clump into the priest's dirty hand.

"My Gods," the man exclaimed after looking at the small object for a moment, then looked back at the rice merchant with wide eyes. "You silly woman, don't you realize that this is a piece of pure gold?" He gave her a crooked grin, "But if it's money you really want, what do say I pay for this lad's rice and take this nugget off your hands." Raising his hand above his head and showing off the gold, he addressed the crowd of people that had been building up. "My good villager's, is there a jeweler amongst you who can tell me how much this is worth?"

As the scene unfolded, Alex could only look at the ugly little man in total bewilderment. "Is this guy a priest or a merchant?" he asked his fuzzy companion, Isaac silently, "Because he seems to act like the latter."

"Yeah, something seems fishy about him," Isaac mumbled on it, but shook his furry head. "Oh well, as long as he's keeping them occupied…" Isaac stated the obvious.

"Yeah, let's get outta here," He turned around and began walking away with his rice bags in tow.

"No?" the man continued before an actual answer could be given. "Well, I guess I'll just have to do it myself. Now I'm just a monk, but I'd say that this gold nugget is probably worth at least three full bags of rice." The crowd gasped and broke into a buzzing murmur. "That's right, maybe even more!" He looked over his shoulder and saw that Alex was now halfway out of the village. "Hey, where' you going?" he called out, but before he could take a single step, the rice merchant grabbed his arm.

"Where are _you_ going?" she asked viciously, and yanked the gold from the monk's hand, "Give me my gold!"

* * *

**Outside the Village**

* * *

"Jeez!" Alex exclaimed as he looked to his newest travel companion, Isaac, "Is there anyone in this century that's not some crazy wacko?"

The fox-squirrel yipped in response. "Nah, probably not," he then looked towards the road path, "It'd be pretty rare if there weren't people as crazy as that."

"Okay, then let me ask this question," Alex quizzed on, "Is there anything or anyone in this time that won't try to kill me?"

Isaac thought about it long, he pondered about it, but then finally answered, "Hmmm, probably not."

The two had barely gotten a few yards away from the village when they heard a familiar voice calling out to him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the priest running after him. How he was able to do such at thing with that heavy looking basket strapped on his back and those stilted sandals was a complete mystery to Alex.

"Hey, there! What's the rush?" the monk called out, "You can't leave now, we've only just met." He moved to a place alongside Alex and smiled, "You're a man of few words, I can tell that just by looking at you, so I'll introduce myself first. He cleared his throat and continued. My name is Jigo. I'm a traveling humble monk of the Southern temple. And you are?"

Nathan glanced at Jigo and frowned slightly. There was something about this stubby little man that just didn't seem right. Alex," he finally answered, 'A man of few words', this guy definitely scores a low in observational skills.'

"Well, Alex," Jigo continued. "We've got your rice and you are all set. Now don't you even think of thanking me." He then looked down at Isaac, who was giving him a confused and investigative look, then back at Alex, "Actually, in all truth, it should be me doing the thanking to you, really."

"Why do you say that?" The dark haired youth asked, gazing off at the setting sun, "This actually the first time we've met."

"I was trapped in that battle back there, and you distracted the samurai long enough for me and a few others to get away," Jigo paused for a moment, then added, "I saw what you did to that samurai and when you made that crater as well, not to mention those fancy foreign fighting moves you had going there. You fight like you've got a demon in you, boy.

A troubled look crossed Alex's face, and he smiled bitterly, "In a few weeks I will be a half-demon."

"What was that?" Jigo asked.

"Nothing, forget it." it was then that Isaac tickled his face with his tail, getting Alex's attention, "Hey, come on, Isaac. Knock it off; what's the big deal?" He then looked over his shoulder and spotted a small group of men following them from at a distance.

Jigo sniggered as he took notice of the boy's attention, without even having to look himself, "I see you've noticed that we're being followed," he said, glancing back at the group. "They'll wait until we're asleep, slit our throats, and steal our money. I guess that's the price we pay for waving that gold around."

"What does he mean 'we'? He's the guy who was waving it around," Isaac whispered to Alex.

"Don't worry about it, Isaac," Alex reassured the little critter, "What's past is past, right now we need to at least either fight or flee as fast as we can."

"Those are some pretty good ideas, friend," said Jigo, "But they're probably too stupid to give up even if we beat them up. What do you say we show them how fast the three of us can run?" With that, the priest took off on his stilted feet, along with Alex and Isaac who followed just a few feet behind, leaving the three would be robbers behind in a cloud of dust.

* * *

**Later that Night**

* * *

The sounds of night echoed through the air, while the wind blew through the branches of ancient trees. In what appeared to be the remains of an abandoned river village, the three travelers sat around a crackling fire. Alex told his story, save for the time traveling part, while Hash listened quietly, hunched over a bubbling iron pot. Though there was something about Jigo's personality that Alex was not terribly fond of, he felt thankful that the ugly little priest could cook.

"So, the Demon God turned out to be a giant boar," said Jigo, stirring a wooden ladle through the thick soup he had made from a few handfuls of Alex's rice and various spices he had been carrying around, "And in the end, you wound up with a curse that an Oracle had changed into a parasitic curse, causing you to become a half-demon whenever the power surges up."

"That pretty much sums it up, Jigo," Alex replied, tossing another piece of smoked meat in front of Isaac who chewed on it contently, "After I recovered from the fight, the village Oracle told me that the boar had once been a God that had journeyed from lands to the west. I tried following it's trail but when I got to where it crossed a lake…"

"But you lost it," Jigo finished, "Well, that's just the way this world works. When you think you have a good hold on something, in the end you realize you never had squat to begin with, and that's just life." He looked up and pointed to the crumbled remains of a house. "Take this village for example. When I visited this place a few years ago, it was thriving with life and was beautiful. Now there's nothing left of it but a few rotting pieces of wood and crumbled rocks."

Nathan said absolutely nothing, even Isaac remained silent as soon as he stopped nibbling on the piece of smoked meat.

"I have no idea what happened to this place. A fire could've broken out, a flood, or perhaps it was even destroyed by a wandering band of brigands. The only thing that's certain is that everyone who lived here is dead now." Jigo reached into his rectangular basket and produced a small bundle of paper with a string tied around it. After he undid the string, he poured some of the powdery contents into the iron pot. "They say that angry spirits are all around us these days, killed by plague, war, hunger and nobody cares. And in the chaos, powerful Demons are born of different origins, as are powerful half-demons such as yourself," he replied as he looked to Alex, who seemed to fidget with his Curse Wrist Chian, "So you say you're cursed, Boy? Well so what, so's the whole damn world." Dipping his ladle into the bubbling rice, the priest scooped up a small serving and tasted it. His mouth widened with a large grin of satisfaction, "Ahhh, that's good. I think it's about ready now."

Alex glanced at Isaac who just glanced back, but then went back to nibbling on the piece of meat. "You know," he said, "For a holy man, you have a pretty pessimistic outlook on life."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," the stumpy man retorted and chuckled, "But why shouldn't I? Just look at the world around us. Pain, hatred, chaos and suffering rule everything. People talk about loosing innocence, I say humans were never innocent to begin with," He shot Alex a quick grin, "Take you for example."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. If it hadn't have been for your curse, that one samurai would probably still be alive, and you would have been one of his many kills."

"I know, that," Alex replied as he unconsciously gripped the wrist chain, silently cursing it, "And every time I think about what I did to him and the rest of those men, I feel like I've become one of the things I hate."

"Ahh, they were just a couple of samurai thugs. You win some and you lose some."

"That still doesn't make it right," Alex defended as he sighed heavily, "I know in this country killing is like a daily routine for some people, but where I come from, it's not something that my people approve of."

Jigo held out his hand towards Alex, "Here, hand me your bowl." When the youth handed him the red bowl the Amishi had given him, Jigo proceeded to fill it with the hot rice. "The point I'm trying to make, Alex, is that bad things happen in life and people die. Everyone dies, from brothel girl to Emperor." When he finished filling Alex's bowl, he handed it back to him and began to fill his own. "There's a rumor going around that the Emperor's even promising an entire hill of gold to whoever can find a way to make him live forever. Even Asano's offering more than that if they can find a way to lift the curse his daughter has."

"An entire hill, huh?" Alex asked suppressing a small chuckle and gulped his first mouth full of Jigo's soup. For something that had been cooked by a man who probably hasn't bathed for a whole year, it was actually pretty good. "That'll buy a lot of bags of rice."

Jigo laughed at the remark and slurped his first serving down in a matter of seconds, "You could probably buy every rice paddy in Japan with all that gold," he said giving himself another helping.

"You do a lot of traveling around here, right?" Alex set his bowl in his lap and pulled out the iron ball, "Tell me, have you ever seen anything like this before?"

When the priest's eyes came to rest on the jagged, black sphere they narrowed causing his reddish nose to wrinkle. He reached out with his chopsticks and plucked the iron ball from Alex's hand like a piece of su-shi. "Never have," he said after examining it for a minute, "Why do you ask?"

"After the Demon God changed back into a boar, the villagers said they found that iron ball within his remains. They believe that's what caused him to become the Demon God in the first place." Alex scratched the back of his head as he explained, "Though I wasn't so willing to at first, I'm starting to believe it as well. I'm starting to believe a whole lot of things," he finished as he looked at Isaac, who remained quiet.

The priest returned the iron ball to Alex's hand, and continued to eat in silence, there was a slight frown on his roundish face; at least it looked like a frown.

'Okay, this guy's obviously not talking,' Alex thought to himself, 'Oh well, might as well shoot for the rebound. "You ever heard of a place called Iron Town?"

"I may have heard its name mentioned here and there," Jigo answered not looking at the young outlander, "Why so interested?" 

Alex shook his head, "There's a good chance that this iron ball came from there. And if I'm going to find a way to lift my curse, the first place I should start looking is at the source of its cause."

The two continued to eat in silence, until Jigo finally spoke again. "You know," he said as his smile returned to his face, "If it's a way to lift the curse your looking for, you might want to try asking Shisha-Gami to lift it for you."

Alex's eyes widened, as Isaac's ears perked up, almost alerted to that name, "Did you just say Shisha-Gami?" He recognized the name from the legend Aunt Jun had told him the night before he was thrown into this century, "As in Shisha-Gami, the spirit of forests?

"More specifically, the King of the Forest Spirits," Jigo corrected but nodded, "Legend has it that Shisha-Gami will perform miracles to those he deems worthy. You never know, he may take pity on you and lift the curse from your head."

"Miracles," Alex echoed giving Isaac another chunk of meat, "Seeing as how strong the curse actually is or getting, it's going to take a miracle to help me get rid of it," He then looked up at Jigo with a raised eyebrow, "There's a catch to this, isn't there?"

"A very big catch," the priest answered. "He can only be found in the forests far to the West of here. It's said to be guarded by ancient Gods which makes it forbidden to all humans; you know, giant beasts that have been that way since the Dawn of Time itself. No one who's ever entered that place has made it out alive. But if it's answers you're looking for, you should try looking there."

Alex was silent after hearing all that. If Jigo was speaking the truth, and there really was a being who had the power to lift the curse, then maybe, just maybe Shisha-Gami also had the power to return him to his own time. Alex brought the red bowl to his mouth and finished the last of his dinner. This journey of his was becoming stranger by the minute, and it was starting to bother him.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

* * *

When morning finally came, Alex and Isaac bid their farewells to Jigo, and started off towards the west once again.

As Jigo watched the youth and the small fox-squirrel shrink into the distance, he smirked, "That boy's got quite the journey ahead of him. And a lot of trouble following in everywhere he's going." He really thought the boy would have been useful in the future. But the moment Alex had shown him that iron ball, the priest knew that he was probably going to be more trouble than he was worth.

"No point in taking any chances," Jigo said to himself as he proceeded to pack his belongings into the large basket. When he placed the last of his things inside the basket he slung it over his shoulders. He had worked too hard to just let a little outlander like Alex destroy everything. But now, there was no use in worrying about it anymore. As he started to walk, he asked himself, "Hmmm, should I have warned him about Moro and her Wolf Princess?" he scratched the back of his head on thought, but then shrugged as he continued, "Nah, he'll be alright. He's got a demon's power in him. He'll either make it to the town, or he'll be wolf excrement."

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Lady in White; Tales of the Wolf Princess**

* * *

**I was thinking about it really hard on this, so I did it. I gave the OCs voice actors of their own. Here are those that I've already gotten figured out so far.**

Alex Killian - Will Friedle

Kari Killian - Dakota Fanning

Mr./Dr. Killian - Nathon Fillon

Anju - Lindsay Lohan

Takemaru - Jonathan Holmes

Isaac/Isako - Martin Short


	8. The Princess Mononoke pt1

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Lady in White; Tales of the Wolf Princess pt.1**

* * *

**Not Far to the West**

* * *

Alex and Isaac were sitting near the roadway; the one in which would help them get West of where they were coming from. As they sat, Alex just sighed, looking to Isaac for some unspoken question. That is until Isaac encouraged it to be spoken, "If you've got a question, it's probably best to get it off your chest, you know?"

After hearing a wise quote come from his furry companion, Alex smirked as he asked, "It's not gonna get easy for me when we reach Shisha Gami's forest, is it?"

Isaac thought about it for a moment, planting a half-smile on his furry face. He then flopped onto his belly and rested his head on his forepaws, answering, "Well… I really don't think so."

"That's what I thought," Alex continued, as he sighed in hopelessness, "Just… why is it, that out of all the centuries in the timeline I could've been thrown into, why did it have to be this one?" he then caught a glimpse at Isaac for a moment; Isaac rasied his ears and jerked his head up at that remark.

After seeing that expression, Alex figured that now it was time to tell Isaac the further truth, "That's right, I never did tell you." He got up and sat where the fox-squirrel was sitting and leaned against it, "It's hard to believe, but you're looking at a real bonafide, American from the 21st century," Isaac seemed to stare at him for a moment, as Alex went on, "I guess I can't blame you if you don't believe me."

"Actually, it would explain a few things," Isaac started as he looked to Alex with his head off his forepaws, "LIke how you're always going on about missing watching something called DVDs. Going on and on about missing pizza, Chicken Salads, and, what was it… oh yeah… hot dogs? What age do you come from that let's you eat dogs?"

"Trust me," Alex defended, "It's not what you think. It's actually leftover meat mashed together," and he scratched his head in thought for a moment, "At least that's what I think they are."

"And there's something else you mentioned," Isaac asked, "You were muttering in your sleep; almost to the sound like you were with a woman." Alex blushed at this, and went wide eyed with surprise, "Yeah, I figured. Who was this woman you mentioned in your sleep? This, uh… Lara Croft?"

Alex went wide eyed and blushed profusely as he stammered, "Tha… that's not nothing to do with our situation!" he then looked away as he mumbled, "'sides, it's just a fan crush I've got on her, anyway. She's not a real person; just a video game character from my favorite games I like to play back home."

"And that's another thing; what in Genbu's shell is a 'vid-eo gamea'?" Isaac asked, as he stood up, stretching his back out and looking up to his human companion, "Is it some form of gladiatorial entertainment back in your time?"

Alex shot him a grin as he answered, "If I ever get back home, and you're along with me for the ride, I might show you." he then let out a heavy sigh, and began to gather up his supply sack, and put on his cloak once more, "I'll tell you one thing," he stated as he slung up the sack, "Ever since I got here, there's been a many strange things since I got here. Every day something new and unexpected happens to me every day. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"Wonder what?"

"What's gonna happen next?" Alex answered.

Suddenly, thunder began to sound, followed by a huge torrent of rain as it fell hard on them both. Isaac, who was beginning to get soaked, looked to Alex. Alex had a mixture of happy and annoyance on his face at this moment. He looked to Isaac as he mumbled, "Please… just… don't… say it."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**On the Mountains**

* * *

A caravaan was approaching down a dirt trail on the side of the mountain, carrying with it a supply of rice. Watching them from afar, going completely unnoticed by miles of dead forest, was a girl crouched down like an animal and looking at them.

The girl was around sixteen, Asian decent due to her skin, which was amazingly similar to porcelain. Her frame was slim, slender, yet surprisingly very powerfully built. She had dark, ebony hair cut just below her neck line, but was crowned with a single ornamental band with a white jewel in the center. On her beautiful face, where her amber brown eyes looked down at the caravan, were three triangular red tattoos that marked her cheeks and forehead. She had polished bone jewelry that dangled on her ears and around her neck. She wore a blue and tattered blue dress with on top of it an equally tattered white sleeveless shirt. Thin leather bands that were looped around each of her biceps; the girl's arms were completely uncovered. She also wore white skinned moccasins of sorts tied to her ankles, and a white fur cloak that was draped over her back. Whoever this girl was, she was the visage of a savage beauty.

The cold winds of dawn brushed roughly against the girl's scowling face and whipped through her ebony hair. As she crouched silently with her back arched forward and her nimble hands planted firmly on the ground, she stared down the slope of the mountain. Through the skeleton forests of dead trees and the blankets of fog, she could just barely make out the elongated shape of a caravan as it slithered across the mountain face like loathsome viper. When the girl sniffed at the air she could smell the caravan's oxen, the steam coming from that iron carriage, as well as the humans who led them along the winding path.

She detested those three smells. Oxen she could tolerate to a point, the steam was nothing more but a tickle to the nose, but the smell of a human.....that was something that would always sicken her whenever it touched her nose. A human's scent, a potent odor which permeated the air whenever one was near, was always a nauseating mixture of their sweat, smoke from their iron works, the strong smelling liquid they called 'saké' they were always drowning themselves in, and in some cases, even their own filth. Out of all the things the girl hated about humans, it was that single aspect that made skin crawl.

Thunder suddenly rumbled through the sky drowning out the oxen's pitiful cries of pain as their driver whipped them. The girl looked up at the rolling gray masses of clouds that loomed in the sky, and sniffed the air once more. "It looks like the rains have finally come," she said.

"All the better," replied a growling basso voice. "When humans are forced to move about in the rain, their sense of logic becomes muddled which makes them falter." A small chuckle followed shortly. "It seems that this will be easier than we first anticipated."

"Pity," came another voice. Though not a deep and authoritive as the first, it still possessed an equally intimidating resonance in its tone. "I was hoping that this would be an actual challenge for once." There was a short pause before the second voice add, What do you think, San?

The girl, San, did not answer, for her attention was focused on the advancing caravan below. She narrowed her piercing dark eyes and dug her fingers into the dirt. 'I know you're there,' she thought to herself. 'I can smell the aura that surrounds your soulless heart!' The girl reached for the white sash wrapped around her waist and unsheathed a small sword dagger carved from bone. As she looked at the weapon's razor sharp edges, her scowl intensified. 'I'll let your dying eyes gaze upon it once I cut from your…'

"San?"

San glanced to her right and saw the source of the two large voices. Behind her were two large white wolves; almost as big as horses or a pair of moose. The first large wolf next to her; she looked to see the wolven face of the wolf that acted as her elder brother. "What is it, Kiba?" she asked, returning her attention to the caravan.

The large wolf known as Kiba, was the ninth son of Moro, looked down at the crouching girl and twitched his ears. Though he was not nearly as large as most of the older members of his species, the wolf possessed a powerful frame that was big enough to send most humans running for dear life. Like his younger brother, Tsume, Moro's tenth son, his coat was thick and silvery and soft to the touch. With a small growl, the large wolf gently nudged his furry muzzle against San's shoulder, one of the only ways he knew how to show her affection without hurting her. "You've been staring at that spot on the hill for hours," he answered and laid flat on the ground beside her. "You're beginning to worry us."

San's frown lessened and she ran her fingers through Kiba's thick fur. She always knew that Kiba was the more sensible one; the smartest and most reasonable of the pack, unlike her and Tsume. "I'm just thinking," she said.

"About?"

"About why we're just sitting here, waiting, while our enemies are wide open for an attack," she answered as she snarled, "And why we're not attacking while that gun woman's out there…"

Kiba frowned slightly, "Because that's what Mother told us to do," he said. "We're to wait for the exact moment She feels is the appropriate time to attack. Not before, not after. He looked towards the neighboring mountain where he could just make out the white shape of their mother, Moro, which had not moved the slightest in last few hours.

"But you said it yourself," San protested, jumping to her feet which caused her bone jewelry to rattle. "As soon as it begins to rain the humans will be practically helpless." She looked at her wolven brother who just looked back at her. "We should strike now while the stupid humans have their guard down."

"Perhaps," Tsume retorted, moving closer to his two siblings. The muscles in his powerful legs and back stretched and flexed as he crouched beside San, showing that he was more of a doer than a thinker, "But to disobey Mother would not only be disrespectful, it would also be dishonorable. And without honor, a wolf is no better than a lowly and destructive human."

Tsume's last comment made San's skin ripple and her hair began to rise with irritation. She hated waiting almost as much as she hated humans. But to be compared to a human, that was enough to send her into raging tantrum.

Unfortunately for San, one of her weakness was her incredibly short-temper. It was something she had acquired over the years living and surviving in the wild, and though not nearly as vicious as it had been during her younger years, was still frightfully untamed. "Why are we even debating this?" she asked, "We have a perfect opportunity to wipe out that entire caravan. So why not take advantage of that opportunity while we still can?"

Kiba laughed, exposing his sharp fangs, "You never change, do you, San?" he said, "You may be the Princess Mononoke, but you're still as impulsive and stubborn as a freshly born cub."

"I am not!" she retorted back, feeling like that was a challenge and letting her temper get the better of her.

"No?" The elder wolf retorted scoffing, "Then why are you so determined to diverge from our original strategy and disobey Mother's instructions?"

With an irritated snort, San started down the hill, "You two can do what you want, but I'm going." before the girl could take the first three steps, she was roughly yanked back by Kiba who had snapped up a mouthful of her cloak of white fur. With a yelp she landed on her back which knocked the wind out of her. She then looked up and found herself staring into the wolf's red-tinted eyes.

"When Mother moves, we move!" He lowered his head so that he and his sister were literally nose-to-nose. "Until then, we wait!"

San had a look that could pierce the thickest boulder. After giving her wolven brother one last glare, she sat up and crossed her arms. "Fine," she growled.

"Looks like you won't have to wait long," Tsume chimed in looking towards the mountain where Moro had been keeping watch.

San and Kiba's sharp eyes looked to where their brother was looking and saw that Moro's obscure shape was now making its decent down the barren slope of the mountain. It would be only minutes before she reached the caravan.

'Finally!' San thought to herself with a grin of fulfillment and climbed onto Kiba's back. "Let's go," she said, then reached behind her head and pulled a red mask, made to resemble those spirits from that Zelda game, but with wolf ears, over her face. It was the mask she had always worn whenever she engaged the humans in battle. Its sole purpose was the same as her fur cloak, to hide as much of her human appearance as possible. When her enemies saw her, the last thing San wanted was to have them think that they were fighting one of their own. For she was not one of their own.

San, like her brothers and like her mother, was one of them; a wolf.

Thrusting back his hind legs, Kiba launched himself from the ledge they had been resting on and rushed down the mountain with San clinging tightly to his back. Tsume followed not too far behind. As the three siblings quickly made their way towards the caravan the rumbling clouds released the rain which they had been storing within their vaporous bodies.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Deep in the Forest**

* * *

"Come on you stupid… ! Alex grumbled at the rock and machete sword he had been rubbing together for the past ten minutes in hopes of starting a fire. So far he and Isaac had taken refuge in a cavern somewhere deep within the mountain's forest. They taken refuge in there and would settle down until the rain had past on. Alex was using his survival skills to make a fire for themselves, using only dead wood, dried up moss, and using the machete's blade he had to try and attempt to make a spark to get it going. But so far, it hadn't promising for the youth.

"All I want is a little spark! What do I have to do, a Native American Fire Dance? Letting his frustration get the best of him, the youth threw the blade and rock aside and kicked the pile of twigs and leaves he had made, sending them scattering in all directions.

Isaac, on the other hand was relishing the whole moment. As the little fox lay curled in a tight ball on the ground, he watched and studied his human companion's every movement. From Alex's relentless attempts to start a fire with the sticks to his every curse and blatant remarks he made in the heat of rage, Isaac was able to find something incredibly entertaining. It didn't take too long for Alex to catch on to this.

"Oh you think this is funny, huh?" Alex asked bitterly, letting his frustration get the better of him.

"Well, in a certain sense… yes, I do, Alex," Isaac retorted, letting his fluffy tail wag at this.

"Well isn't that cute. I'm stuck in this maze of a forest, I'm freezing my rump off because I can't make a fire worth a half the stuff I could find!" He then shot Isaac a dirty look, "… and the only company I have is a wise-ass fox who thinks I'm the incarnation of a Monty Python episode."

Alex just continued to give Alex the same amused expression, "I could go on listening to this, you know. And for the record, I may not know who this Monty Python guy is, but I'm sure he has better control of his temper than you do, my lad."

Shaking his head, the young outlander sighed and gathered the twigs and leaves back into a pile. "Sorry," he said quietly, "I didn't mean to go off on you like that. It's just that..... I don't know. Everything just seems so..... so messed up." He picked up the machete sword and rock, and proceeded to rub them together to create a spark once again, "You know, Isaac, I really envy you."

To this the fox gave Alex a questioning look, "You? Envy me? How's that? You're practically 5'8", and I'm practically 1'0" in height. That, and you're top of the food chain close to me."

"No, I really mean it," Alex said, unaware that smoke was starting to rise from the sticks. "You're a Forest Spirit, anyway. That means you can live anywhere you want, don't have to worry about crazy and embarrassing parents you can't relate to, you don't have to go to high school where both the teachers and the other students hate your guts, and…" He paused for a moment before continuing, and sighed heavily, "… and you don't have to deal with getting rejected by girls simply because you don't measure up to their impossibly high standards." With a grin he looked back at the fox-squirrel, "Isaac, you have got it made."

Isaac seemed surprised by that as he asked, "You… being rejected by women? A good-looking and skilled fellow like yourself, unable to get one is quite impossible." he then perked his ears a she went on, "Only two reasons could be it; one, they're either too blind to see how quite a catch you are…"

"Ah, thanks, Isaac," Alex smirked as he set the tools down for a break.

"Or two… you're obviously a eunic."

"… you're lucky I don't rip your fur off and eat you at this point."

There was a slight crackle, and in a puff of gray smoke, the pile of twigs and leaves became alive with flickering flames.

Alex stared with widened eyes, as did Isaac. "I did it," he said, "I actually did it! Unable to control his joy, the youth jumped to his feet and began to dance around the small fire. "I.....have created fire!"

"You certainly did," Isaac chirped, "So how about you sit down and try to take it easy. You're still a little tired from the trekking around."

Alex nodded to that, and sat down next to Isaac. But the little Fox-Squirrel shot up and sat down into his lap, curling up and taking in the warmth that Alex' body could provide. The two had remained quiet for a while, resting and letting the fire soak up their soggy coldness. Alex had taken the jacket from around his waist, and slipped it on his shoulders to gain a little warmth as he let his soggy cloak dry out. But something was nagging him as they made their way up the mountains. He looked down to Isaac and asked, "Hey, Isaac. Is there anything we need to know about the mountains when we enter the forests?"

Isaac gulped at this and slightly knew that this was gonna come along. He sighed as he looked up to Alex and stated, "Well to tell you the truth, Alex… the chance of you surviving it are slim. You see, to enter the forest of Shisha-Gami is certain death to all humans!

The young outlander frowned. That's what I thought," he then sighed as he leaned back, supporting himself on his arms, "Just what the hell is everyone so scared shitless about? Why is entering that forest so dangerous for humans?"

"Because," the little Fox-Squirrel explained, "The forest is said to be guarded by the most vicious God in all of Japan. The Wolf God, Moro."

"Moro?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Isaac added, "She and her entire clan rule over the forests that surround the dwelling of Shisha-Gami. They'll kill you the moment you set your first toe in that forest." he then scratched the back of his head with his hind leg, "Not to mention there's her daughter. The forest witch, as the humans have come to call her. The princess of beasts and demons."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. For one reason or another this conversation had a chillingly familiar atmosphere to it. "Just who exactly is this... forest witch?"

"Who is she?" Isaac asked, with a wide expression, "You've never heard of Princess Mononoke? The adopted daughter of Moro?"

All Nathan could do was stare. Not once did he ever expect to here that name again. 'First it was Shisha-Gami, then it was Isaac... now this.' His face pinched into a tight frown. 'I guess everything Aunt Jun said was true. The Gods, the forest spirit called Shisha-Gami....... Now even this Princess Mononoke turns out to be real.'

"I've heard that she steals infants from their cribs at night and feeds them to her wolf brothers. She also cuts her victim's hearts out and eats them raw. Then she spreads their blood all over her body and dances in rings of fire to pay homage to the Forest Gods," Isaac scoffed at, "I don't know where they get these crazy stories from."

"Well, are there any rumors that are true?" Alex asked, getting both nauseous and annoyed of this.

"Well," Isaac stated as he hopped off of Alex lap and stood next to the fire, "This, is the truest tale the humans could make of her." And Isaac began to tell the tale of the great Princess Mononoke. He began as he stated, that

In the forests of the western lands, hidden amongst the ancient trees; the daughter of the Gods resides. They say she was born a human, but she was raised by the wolves in the clan of Moro ,a mighty God from times of long long ago. To some she is known as the forest witch; to others she is known as the daughter of Moro. But to all she is known as the princess of beasts and demon, who lives only to loath the humans that invade her land, and to rule the beasts and animals of the forest. And guardian the sacred grove of her lord and master Shisha-Gami.

She is the Princess Mononoke.

It is said that the Princess Mononoke's beauty, lovelier than the loveliest cherry blossom. Brighter than the brightest of the sun's rays, sharper than the sharpest of blades. With such charms, she could place the strongest warrior under her power. Those who gaze upon her, no matter how thick their armor may be, nor how strong their will may seem. Those who gaze upon the Princess Mononoke; become powerless and intoxicated by her presence. Those who gaze upon the Princess Mononoke… die.

"And that's all there is to it," Isaac

Alex kind of gupled at that story, but then his mind focused aloud as he asked Isaac, "Exactly how much of that is true? I mean… can she really be that beautiful?"

"Well, I only met her once, when she was of mere five years of human age," Isaac replied, "Though I'm not sure if she remembers a little fuzz ball like myself."

Alex sighed as he ran his fingers thorugh his hair, "Well, eiher way, if we meet up with her, we're gonna be screwed."

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Lady in White; Tales of the Wolf Princess pt.2**


	9. The Princess Mononoke pt2

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Lady in White; Tales of the Wolf Princess pt.2**

* * *

**Back on the Mountains**



As Kiba and Tsume drew closer to the caravan of oxen and humans, San could feel the sensation of pure adrenaline rushing through her body, washing over her like the streams of falling rain. Her dark eyes glinted like daggers behind her mask while her mouth twisted with anticipation. She tightened her grip on her dagger as she imagined it slicing through the flesh of her first victim.

The wolf-girl's zest for the approaching battle was abruptly cut short when she saw a group men dressed in straw cloaks forming a straight line alongside the path. In each man's hands was a long wooden pole with a thick bottle-shaped cylinder that was wrapped in bright-red paper. It was only when the first man removed the paper from his pole's cylinder revealing the dark-metal object hidden beneath that San realized the danger that was about to befall her and her two brothers. "Kiba!" she shouted.

A deafening blast erupted from the bottle shaped cylinder's muzzle which sent a small iron ball screaming through the air. In a jagged flash of light the ball struck the ground just a few paces ahead of Kiba. Three more shots followed, each of them just missing the wolves and the girl by mere inches. When they ricocheted off the rocks and trees, they emitted chilling shrieks that tore through the air.

"That way!" San ordered Kiba and pointed her left arm to the side, gesturing for Tsume to follow. As they made the sharp turn, more of the iron projectiles were fired at them. Cowards! the wolf-girl thought to herself. They hide behind their guns like helpless cowards, because they know we'll kill them otherwise. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw that several of the oxen had broken away from their drivers and were now running down the mountain in a panicking frenzy. She smiled and sniggered when she thought about all the rice that would lost with those oxen. If they couldn't kill the humans directly they next best thing they could do was cripple their food supply. "We're going in for another pass," she barked while tugging at a handful of Kiba's neck fur.

The large wolf replied with an affirmative growl and twisted around until he was once again charging the caravan. When they were just another few seconds away from the line of bellowing oxen, San whipped her arm through the air and sent her dagger spiraling into the thick hide of an already agitated ox. The black pelted animal gave of a shrill cry of pain and and began to twist and buck around the path, kicking a few drivers off the cliff and into the surging river hundreds of feet below. With another pain filled cry, the ox trampled over its own driver and barreled down the path.

"Damn!" San cursed.

"You hit the ox, didn't you?" Kiba asked as he continued to run between the skeletons of dead trees while dodging another barrage of the iron projectiles. "Was it not your strategy to injure the ox and start an uproar?"

San chuckled and brought her head close to the wolf's ear, "Actually I was aiming for the ox driver himself."

She looked down the line of oxen and humans until she saw the object of her most vicious hatred. The woman whom had brought all this pain and suffering to her forests and who had given the humans the weapons that spit iron like balls of lightning. The humans who lived under her command called her Lady Eboshi, and it was her blood alone that San craved more than anything else.

As the woman stood in a stiff posture of authority that amplified her every arrogant features, the riflemen she controlled with only mere words, huddled around her with their guns held at the ready.

The distance between them lessened and San could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she imagined herself upon the gun-woman, tearing at her face and limbs with her bare hands. 'I'm coming for you, Gun-Woman!' she screamed in her mind as she and Kiba neared the ledge where the woman and her riflemen were awaiting them. She unsheathed the second dagger she had hidden away within her tattered garments and held it in an anxious hand. But before she could do anything more, the wolf whom she was riding suddenly altered course and circled around the face of the mountain in a wide curve until he was running in the opposite direction.

"Kiba!" San screamed angrily at her elder brother, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I know you wish to engage the gun-woman, San!" Kiba retorted panting heavily, "But this is Mother's battle now.

San raised her thin eyebrows. "Mother?" she then looked back and saw the hulking shape of Moro descending upon the caravan.

One of the men looked around the steel carriage, as someone came walking out of it. It was the same tanned man in the red coat; he held his sword's hilt to his side, even as Yashahime stepped out. He turned around, still showing his scowl as he looked to her as she stepped on to the ground, "Mistress! What are you doing? The gods are still on the loose."

She didn't show any sign of fear or pain at this time. All she did, was walk to where the leader of the caravan was heading. Seeing she couldn't be reasoned with at this time, the man followed after her. As soon as they made their way to the leader, her second-in-command, a brawly fellow hidden in his cloak, chuckled, "Ahahaha! They weren't so tough."

"You idiot, they were just pups and one savage," Yashahime answered, drawing the attention of both of them, as Yashahime smiled with a murderous intent, "Wait til' you see their precious and murderous mother."

"Princess Yashahime," the leader of the group, Eboshi, said to her, but seemed slightly surprised even though her face didn't show it, "I thought you were arriving in Iron Town via the safe way."

"I was, until I heard you would run into Moro and her children," she then looked and she heard someone shout out that another wolf was spotted, "… and it seems that she's already here." they saw a blur of silver high up from the mountains heading right towards them. Yashahime lifted her right hand up, allowing her sleeve to fall down to her elbows. This revealed a blue coated metal band on her wrist, and in the center of it a red gem embedded in the center of it. She smiled wickedly as the bracelet let out a black ooze that encompassed her naked flesh, and then steely blue tentacles shot out of it, wrapping around the arm, "I've waited for a moment such as this… Moro…"

The enormous Wolf-God landed on the unsuspecting caravan like a giant boulder of ivory-white fur, throwing a few more men over the cliff. With her vicious claws and dagger sized teeth, she tore across the dirt path, slaughtering whatever human or oxen that was unfortunate enough to get in her way. Moro's eyes flared with frightening rage as made her way towards her goal, the gun-woman she and the other creatures of her forest had come to know as Lady Eboshi. However, she also took sight in another human, and growled even louder; the child of the human that had invaded their forest long ago, and then grew up to slaughter her mate and take his head; the Devil Princess, Yashahime, as she was given the title by the creatures of the forest as well.

Completely unfazed by neither the deaths of her own men nor the advancing Wolf-God, Eboshi threw back her cloak and produced a small, elongated object that was wrapped in the same red paper as the riflemen's own iron spitting weapons. She then hoisted the strange object onto her shoulder and took aim. When the rampaging Moro came within range, the front of the paper covered object suddenly burst into a cloud of smoke and flames.

Before Moro could take evasive action, a burning hot ball of iron ripped through the side of her neck and buried itself deep within her chest. The giant Wolf-God held back what would have been the most terrible cry of agony ever heard while blood gushed from the open hole that had been left by the projectile's violent entry.

A man enveloped in a cloak of straw stepped in front of Eboshi and raised his own weapon, one of the wooden staves with the bottle shaped metal barrel at the end. When the hulking, white animal neared, the man fired his weapon which spewed a blazing pillar of flames.

The flames scorched against the Moro's body, causing her to falter. However, that wasn't the worst of it, as Princess Yashahime leapt out from the air, and slammed her fist into Moro's front, sending her back. The Wolf God staggered, until Yashahime ran forward, and continued to endlessly bludgeted the Wolf God. While doing so, a vicious and animalistic smile spread across her face, taking great pleasure in this, slowly attempting to kill the wolf god.

In a final, desperate attempt to escape the agonizing pain and the relentless onslaught, she threw herself over the face of the cliff, disappearing under the veil of fog below.

When the danger had finally passed, the surviving ox-drivers as well as the riflemen hurriedly tried to salvage what was left of their badly damaged caravan. While order slowly began to set in, Eboshi stood at the edge of the cliff where the Wolf-God had fallen.

"You did it milady!" Gonza, the man who had launched the stream of flames from his rifle exclaimed with a bellowing laugh, "AHAHAHA! You killed her!"

Eboshi sniffed curtly and handed her rifle to her personal servant. "You're forgetting that she's a God, Gonza," she said. "It will take more than that to kill a monster like her." She looked over her still agitated caravan and shouted, "We're moving out now!" And then she looked towards the princess as she walked back, "And how are you doing, Yasha?"

Yashahime was walking back, the upper right side of her dress slightly tattered, revealing what she had used to beat Moro up. Her right arm was encased in a skin-tight steely blue armor. Her hand was also encased in armor with razor sharp points at her fingertips, like a wolf; her shoulder was encased in a claw-shaped shoulder armband that pointed upward, and extended across into her dress, exposing the same black ooze that was on the Boar God's body when he became a demon. On the right side was a white blue mane of sorts, resembling wolf's hair, and a sharp point sticking out as well, resembling a wolf's ear. And the red jewel, was now in the center of her wrist, as it had changed color, from blood red, to Sky Blue.

However, the black ooze then melted away, the mane shrinking and shedding off, and the armor retracted back into the bracelet. Returning to normal, she shook her head to break away the rain out of her head as she muttered, "Horrible. That wolf escaped before I could rip her throat out."

Gonza stared at his commanding mistress as she and the princess walked away, with shocked eyes. "But milady," he stammered, almost too afraid to continue his question. "What about the men that went over the…"

"They're dead," the woman snapped. "So let's concentrate our attention on getting the living home."

The bearded man opened his mouth to protest, but kept the words imprisoned within his throat. He then frowned and slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Yes milady," he said, following his commanding mistress through the trail of mutilated carcasses that had been left by Moro's ambush.

The tanned man, came to Yashahime's side as he asked, "What shall we do with our men as well?" he pointed to a couple of the soldiers that had been injured by Moro's rampage, "We should…"

"Leave them," Yashahime simply and coldly stated as she headed for the carriage, "They should have paid more attention. Now they're paying the price for their incompetence."

"As you wish, my lady," the man stated as he followed behind her, leaving the dead the same way as Eboshi had done with her own men.

* * *

**Not Far from the Caravan**

* * *

San had watched in absolute horror as her wolven mother plummeted head-first over the cliff. "MOTHER!" she screamed with a mixture of terror and rage, feeling the tears begin to build up in her eyes. She then leapt on to Kiba's back and gripped his fur tightly, "Quickly, we have to go to her, she might be dying!"

"Right!" The large wolf growled and darted down the mountain with all his strength. Though he and Tsume had been never ones to openly show hurt or fear, deep inside they were more terrified for their mother's life than they had ever been before.

Though Moro may have been a God, she was still a living creature. And sooner or later, all living creatures eventually die.

* * *

**Later On**

**In the Forest**

* * *

Alex tromped through the damp forest, his cloak pulled over him, and the hood pulled over his head. And his Isaac-filled supply sack slung over his shoulder. He looked up and gazed at the sky through the thick canopy of leaves. He was relieved to see that the clouds were now pulling away from each other leaving openings for blue sky and warm sun to seep through.

"Well, it's about time,"he said to himself and wiped the wetness from his face. His attention was suddenly ripped away from the sky by what sounded like a bellowing 'moo'.

"What the… ?" the youth said cocking an eyebrow when the cry came again. Following the strange but vaguely familiar sounds, he ran through the forest, splashing in soggy mud puddles and pushing himself through water-logged bushes. It didn't take to long for him to find the source of the cries.

A large, black ox was frantically pulling against its harness which had become snagged on the thick branches of a tree. The horned animal bellowed again and jerked its head from side to side.

"Now that… ," Alex said with a wide expression, "… is what I call a really big chunk of hamburger." He slowly approached the frantic animal, holding his open hand out in an attempt to show that he meant no harm. "It's okay," he said softly taking a few more slow steps towards the ox, "I'm not gonna hurt you. That, and I was joking about that hamburger crack."

The ox's large eyes filled with the boy's image causing it to draw back in fear. It then made a low pitched wail.

"Shhhh. It's alright," the youth said quietly and held his hand towards the frightened animal's wet snout. "Just take it easy, now."

The ox reluctantly turned to face him and sniffed at his hand. Alex tried to hold back his laughter as he felt the ox's damp nose brushing against his hand. "There you go," he said with a smile and began to gently stroke the animal's head, "See, I'm not such a bad guy, now am I?" The ox 'mooed' in response, "You must've wandered off from the rest of its heard, or something."

Isaac, who had been asleep for most of the time, jumped out from the warm safety of the supply sack and landed on the soggy ground. When he looked up at the towering ox, his ears twitched as did his nose. Keeping his grayish eyes fixed on the bulky mass of the ox's body, the fox circled around, sniffing at the air.

He stopped when he reached the animal's right hindquarter and asked, "So what's with the heffer? We havin' steak tonight?" but then his ears perked up as he looked towards the river.

"Isaac?" Alex asked as he freed the ox's harness from the tree branch, "What is it?"

"Something's amiss with this bovine here," Isaac stated as he looked to where he was.

He moved around the ox, patting its wide belly and stopped where Isaac was sitting, "Come, Isaac, don't tell me you've never seen......a…" The young outlander's words escaped him when his saw the blood dribbling down the ox's leg. "What the hell…" His eyes followed the stream of red up the animal's leg until he was looking at the rump, "…is this?"

Buried deep within the black hide was a double-edged dagger. Alex carefully examined the wound, and gently gripped the blade's handle. Biting his lower lip, the youth tightened his grip and pulled the dagger cleanly from the wound, receiving only a small yelp from the ox.

With a sickened but curious look, Alex examined the dagger he held in his hands. "Man," he murmured, "Talk about you're weirdo weapons."

He dunked the blade in a puddle of water, washing away the blood, then continued to examine it. It was like no weapon he had ever seen. Not even that swords and knives show on the home-shopping network had sold anything like it. The blade was an oddity all on its own. Two, razor sharp edges joined at the tip which formed the dagger's semi-round triangular shape. On the flat of the blade there was a pair red slash marks. It was truly a strange, but marvelous piece of weaponry.

"Doesn't look like something a samurai or bandit would use," he said to himself. "Nor anyone else I can think of for that matter." A sudden chill passed over him, causing his skin to break out into tiny goose-bumps. His arms and chest began to burn and rippled. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to cry out. The pain only lasted for a few seconds, and soon washed away from his body like a fading dream. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. When he stood and turned around he was struck by a scene that literally left him dumbstruck.

While the youth had been busy examining the dagger, Isaac had found himself a comfortable spot on ox's back. The ox for the most part didn't seem to even notice the smaller animal's presence and just simply lumbered about, chewing on the leaves of a shrub.

Alex, shook his head and laughed, "Isaac," he said, "You are quite the lovable mooch, aren't you?"

The little fox-squirrel shot him a sly grin and yipped, "And proud of it."

After he slipped his newly acquired dagger in to his supply sack, the young outlander took hold of the ox's harness and gave it a tug. "Come Mr. Big Mac," he said, tugging harder, "Let's get the hell out of here."

The ox jerked at the harness a few times before finally submitting to Alex's command. With a slight moan of annoyance, the hulking black animal began to follow its new driver through the damp forest.

* * *

**Not Far in the Forest**

San growled with rage as she and her two brothers darted through the forest in search of their injured mother. She could feel the savage ferocity of her anger coursing through her veins so much that she could almost taste it. While she clung tightly to the galloping Kiba, the young wolf-girl made herself a promise. A solemn vow upon her honor as a member of the wolf clan. Before the that night's moon touched the highest peak of the sky, her blade would be stained with the gun-woman's blood. She held her dagger flat against her chest and closed her eyes.

'Wise Shisha Gami…,' she whispered in her mind. 'Noble spirit of nature...... Benevolent master of all the world's forests… King of the Forest Spirit Gods.... Grant me the strength I need so that I may slay the ones who threaten our home.' Her scowl tightened as did her grip on the dagger, 'Grant me the strength that I will need to kill the woman who has taken the land that is rightfully yours and avenge my mother whom she as afflicted.'

Pushing her mask back over her head, San uncovered her glaring eyes and exposed her clenched teeth. She promised herself that nothing was going to stop her from killing the Gun-Woman. Not her riflemen, not her guards, not even the hateful Gun-Woman herself, or even the Girl in White with the demonic strength. Nothing.

* * *

**Back with the Duo**

* * *

When Alex and his two animal companions stepped out from the shade of the trees, they found themselves surrounded by a network of enormous, moss covered boulders and roaring waterfalls. The water was brown and foamy and smelled faintly of the forest's soil, and the cracks and gaps between the boulders were lined with gnarled roots and shrubs. The whole area had a very unearthly feeling of serenity in its atmosphere. And for the most part, it was all quite pleasant to be around.

While Alex was enjoying the natural beauty of his new surroundings, as he had becoming accustomed to on his journey, Isaac suddenly sprung to his feet on the ox's back and began barking wildly.

"Hey," Alex chided the noisy fox-squirrel, "What's with you all of a sudden?"

"I smell blood, Alex," Isaac answered, looking rather serious, "There was a battle, or an ambush of sorts. The rain practically washed most of it away, but the scent of blood hasn't diminished."

When Alex heard that and looked to where his companion was indicating he felt the blood drain from his face.

Floating along the muddy stream were the limp bodies of oxen and a few men. There were other bits and pieces of debris as well. Upon seeing this, Alex's mouth hung wide open as he stared and watched the powerful current of the waters carry away the lifeless forms. Though he had seen it many times since his accidental journey into this time period, the sight of death always seemed to leave the youth nearly frozen in horror. He clutched a handful of his T-shirt and breathed heavily.

When Isaac saw his friend in such a state, he looked to him all reassuringly, "Get a grip Alex.......Just don't think about it…," he ensured his human companion, "There was nothing you could've done."

"I know, but…," he stopped as he turned around and began to walk back over to the ox, he found that Isaac was nowhere to be seen. "Now where'd that furry little mooch hobble off too, now?" he asked himself while he searched the area for his missing companion.

"Alex, over here!" Isaac called out, getting Alex's attention, "Over here, quick! It's imperative!"

When he found Isaac he saw that he was crouched beside the sprawled out form a man dressed in a bright, orange tunic who was half submerged in the water. The man's face was twisted in a gaping expression of anguish while his eyes remained shut. Because he was so far away, it was impossible for Alex to tell whether the man was just unconscious or.... He shook his head as he pushed the second half of the tough out of his mind, and rushed towards the motionless figure.

Crouching on one knee, the youth gently slapped the man's face. "Hey," he said, "You okay, man?" He slapped his face again, then placed his hand just an inch above the man's gaping mouth. A relieved smile spread across Nathan's face when he felt breath against his skin. Hey, he's alive!" he exclaimed shooting Isaac a wide grin. He's actually alive! He slung the man's limp arm over his shoulder and pulled him from the muddy water.

"Well, that's a pleasant surprise," Isaac replied, "But what do we do with him?"

"We'll have to treat his wounds, and when/if we get to Iron Town, we'll leave him to their doctors," Alex answered as he helped the man to shore.

As soon as he laid the unconscious person down on the warm, flat rocks, the young outlander looked up and saw Isaac standing over yet another still figure that was bobbing limply among the rapids. Like the one before, Alex rushed to the injured man's aid. As he fished him out of the water, he was given a much clearer view of the man's appearance. Unlike the first man, who was fairly well built with a solid frame, this one was lanky and looked frail enough to snap like a twig. It was only then that the youth realized that the man had been thrashed around quite badly. When Alex examined him, he noticed that his right arm was fractured just below the elbow, and his leg was broken and a few of his ribs were cracked.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened to you, Mister," Alex said, slinging the dazed man's good arm over his shoulder. "But you and your friend are both lucky to be still breathing." He carefully dragged him over to where he had left the first injured and laid him against a rock.

"Well, this certainly is an interesting twist," he said and combed his fingers through his dark hair. When he looked back at the rushing water he saw something he hadn't noticed earlier. It was a thin stream of red that flowed through the water like a separate river. Though it was faint, the youth had absolutely no troubled recognizing what it was.

"Blood," he said quietly, "And it's coming from up there." He looked down at Isaac who returned the look. "Stay here," he told the small animal and began to climb the rocks and roots.

"Ah, don't worry, Alex," Isaac mumbled, feeling a little fearful of the blood that he saw, and where it might've come from. But then he picked up the scent of the blood, and then went wide eyed, almost recognizing the scent, "But then again…"

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

When Alex reached the top of the small slope he quietly crept along the rough surface of a fallen tree until he was at the roots. He pressed his back against the tree's thick trunk and repeatedly asked himself whether or not he really wanted to find out what was on the other side 'Might as well,' he told himself. 'I've already gone this far.' Taking a deep breath, the youth crouched low and peered through the spaces between the roots. What he found almost caused him to jump back.

On the other side of the wide stream, lying motionlessly on its side was what Alex could only describe as the most enormous wolf had ever seen in his life. It must have been bigger than a the pickup-truck, if not bigger. Its head alone was probably longer than he was tall, which meant that it would have no trouble snapping and swallowing him up in a single bite. Though the gargantuan beast's size was enough to terrify Alex into the afterlife, he found that he was unable stop gazing at the brilliant white fur that covered its entire body.

As he continued to look at the creature, he realized that it had two tails. 'That's just weird,' Alex said to himself. 'It's like something you'd find on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.' It was then that Alex realized that the blood he had seen flowing down the current had been draining from a large gash in the wolf's neck. When his eyes settled on the gaping wound he couldn't help be cringe. In truth, he had wanted to go over there and help the poor creature, but he also knew that the second he got over there, it'd bite him in half, just like in Jurassic Park.

Two more wolves suddenly appeared from out of the forest. Though these two newcomers were not nearly as big as the one lying on the ground, they were still very large. As Alex continued to watch the scene unfold he spotted a small fur-clothed figure clinging to the back of one the silvery wolves, riding it as though she were riding a horse.

With one fluid movement, the figure leapt from the wolf's back and landed gracefully on the ground. As she stood up, Alex saw that the figure was in fact a beautiful young girl, probably not much older than he was. She was dressed in a tattered white blouse that fell over an equally tattered blue dress. Excepted for the thin leather bands that were looped around each of her biceps, the girl's arms were completely uncovered.

From his very first glimpse of her, Alex could see the strength, and agility that existed within the girl's slender yet powerfully built body. When his eyes rose to where the soft oval of her face rested above her thin neck, they were instantly lost with her loveliness. It was a face that looked as though it had been carved from the purest block of porcelain by the most skilled hands. Two thin eyebrows lined the skin above a pair of large eyes of the darkest brown, while a thin upturned nose poked out over a small full-lipped mouth. But the most fascinating features were the three triangular tattoos of red that marked her cheeks and forehead. Her dark, ebony hair, cut just below her neck line, was crowned with a single ornamental band with a white jewel in the center.

From the polished bone jewelry that dangled from her ears and round her neck to the fur cloak that was draped over her back, to the three red marks on her face, the girl possessed a frightening yet incredibly serene aura about her.

As Nathan watched her quickly make her way towards the bigger wolf which was now propping itself up on its front paws, he decided then and there, that this mysterious girl was the true embodiment of feminine beauty. 'Wow,' Alex thought, '… she's like a forest angel…'

That was until she did the unthinkable.

To Alex's complete and utter dismay, the girl pressed her face into the monstrous white wolf's gaping wound and began to suck out the infected blood. When her mouth could hold no more blood, she turned to the side and spat it out like water from a squirt gun.

'Holy Crap!' the dark haired youth exclaimed silently as he watched the girl continue to repeat the process of sucking out the blood and spitting it onto the ground over and over, until he felt the muscles in his stomach beginning to churn. 'Though that's a good idea; sucking up the infected blood before it causes infection,' but as he saw her suck up another batch and spit it out, he hunched over, about to vomit, 'I think I'm going to be sick!'

Suddenly, as though he had been struck by a bolt of lightning that had been hurled from the heavens above, the terrifying realization seeped into Alex's head. If the rumors he had heard during his travels were as accurate as their tellers had promised them to be, then that giant wolf who was wounded in the neck was in fact the feared Wolf-God, Moro. When he thought about it for a moment, it all seemed to make perfect sense. 'Well she's certainly large enough to fit the description,' he thought to himself and let his eyes return their attention to the girl.

That was when the second realization struck him. As he stared at the girl while she cleaned the wound in Moro's neck, a single name coursed through his mind. A name that was shrouded in the dark shadows of mystery and the terrifying rumors of passing travelers. 'If that's the Wolf-God Moro.... than that girl is..... she's.....she's the.…'

He felt the tiny hairs on his neck begin to stand on end, and without even thinking about what he was doing whispered the name. A name which had followed him across the face of Japan as well as through the fabric of time. "…Princess Mononoke." It was only when he said the name that he realized his mistake.

Moro's elongated head looked in his direction. When her vicious eyes locked with his, she began to growl, causing her fur covered maw to wrinkle. As Alex watched the giant God continue to growl at him, he suddenly remembered the warning that Jigo and Isaac had given him: to enter these forests meant certain death. 'I'm in trouble… deep….'

The girl suddenly looked over her shoulder and shot Alex the most blood chilling glare. Her face was now covered in blood as were her hands and clothing. She stood and spat out her last mouthful of blood, still staring into Alex's eyes.

'Oh, crap!' with a forceful jerk, the young outlander darted out of both the girl and the God's line of vision. He leaned heavily against the curved side of the fallen tree and pressed his hands against his mouth, hoping it would muffle the sound of his breathing. Though he knew very well that he was wasting his time, he hoped and prayed that the four forest dwellers had not seen him. He gulped as he thought wishful thinking, 'Maybe they didn't notice. Maybe this cloak will hide my scent and they'll…'

Those hopes and prayers were shattered when the girl called out to him.

"I know you're there, human!" she shouted, causing Alex to 'gulp and shrink back behind the logs, "So you might as well just show yourself!"

"There aren't any humans out here!" the youth shouted back, without considering what he was saying, "Nope! No humans; just us talking cicadas."

The girl raised an eyebrow as she asked herself, "Does he really believe that's going to even work?" There was a brief pause before the girl's anger returned and she continued, "You either show yourself, human, or my brothers will drag you out like the spineless coward you are!"

Alex frowned and though quickly. 'Okay, then...... I either throw myself out into the open and risk being eaten by three VERY big wolves, one of which just happens to be a God..... or, I sit here and wait for those wolves to drag me out and get eaten anyway.' He considered his options… very quickly and carefully, 'I think I'll go with the first choice.'

"I'm waiting, human," The girl said the word 'human' as though she were spitting venom.

"Alright, you win!" Alex retorted, "I'll show myself. Just keep Cujo and Balto over there away from me! Except for you, they're makin' me nervous!"

"Don't you dare give me orders, human!" the girl snapped back ferociously, "Be thankful if I let you walk away from here with all your limbs. Don't think for one minute that I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand!"

"Alright, alright! You don't have to get miffed about it," Alex muttered under his breath and proceeded to scramble over the fallen tree.

When he finally reached the top he stood and pushed his mask up his up onto his forehead. He looked down at the girl, and found himself lost in her glaring visage. Her narrowed eyes were sharp enough to pierce through his own and channel deep into the core of his mind. It was then that Alex realized that he was not looking into the face of a beautiful girl, but the face of the vicious Princess Mononoke.

San studied the strange looking human from head to toe. While her piercing eyes absorbed his every detail the young wolf-girl felt a small sense of wonder pass over her. Never in her life has she seen a human like this. From his oddly shaped shoes and his fabric armor, to the strange jewelry he had around his neck and on his left ear, the human bore absolutely no resemblance to any other human she ever had seen before. When she studied roundish contours of his fair skinned face she suddenly realized that he was not of this land. Which meant that he was not of the Iron Town Clan.

But never-the-less, the boy was still a human, and San detested humans, "What are you doing in this forest?" she hissed, "Tell me, now while you're still alive!"

"Ummm....well... I...uhhhh…" The human stammered for a moment before he was finally able to articulate his words. "I was told that this forest was the home of the forest spirit.... uh...um.... what's his name again?" He rubbed his hand over his sweaty face and snapped his fingers nervously. It was obvious that his fear was clouding his memory, "Shi... Shisha.... Shisha-a-a-a, you who I'm talking about. He's the guy who can escape any trap… makes a llama disappear in a box… can perform card tricks and do all those cool things with a white tiger," he shook his head, realizing that was completely different, "No, wait. Those are the wrong guys."

'Is this human some sort of lunatic?' San asked herself looking at the young outlander with a raised eyebrow. '… or is he just a complete idiot?'

"Shi… Caca… Chicago… Shikesha… Shishabob… Shisha Gami! he shouted, finally able to remember the right name, "That's him; that's the one! I'm here in search of the great Shisha Gami. Because he can perform miracles and.…" The idiotic expression melted away from his face, leaving nothing but a sullen frown, as he became serious to her, "…and because I need his help. He might be the only one who can help me."

After hearing that this human wanted to see the Great Forest Spirit, San's anger seemed to return as she glared at Alex, "You're here to kill him, aren't you," San replied, clenching her blood-stained fists into tight balls, "Just like all the other human's who have sought him out."

"Kill him?" the human said, staring at her with a widened look. He shook his head in defense as he tried to clear up this misunderstanding, "No, no, you've got it all wrong! That's a misconception! I'm just…"

"I don't believe you," San snapped sharply as her hand went for her dagger. "Humans like you have been trying to take the life of Shisha Gami for years. Either for the power they believe they'll gain, or for some other selfish reason. If you think that you can convince me that your intentions are different, you're wrong," Her eyes narrowed even more. "Because I'm not stupid, human!"

"I never said you were!"

"Then don't think you can slither your way out of this by lying to me!"

"I'm not lying to you! I have no reason to," the human shot back, "My life depends on finding Shisha Gami! You've got to believe me!

Before San could open her mouth to respond, Kiba stepped beside her and growled for her to be silent, using his natural, wolf language. _"_What is it?" she asked mimicking her elder brother's language perfectly.

"Can't you smell it, San?" Kiba asked looking towards the strangely dressed human.

The wolf-girl looked at her brother quizzically then sniffed in the human's direction. When the boy's scent touched her nose, her eyes widened slightly. _"_He smells.....of wolf!" she said.

"No," Tsume joined in after had had taken in the human's scent. "It's not of wolf..... but it is remarkably similar to that of a spirit's."

San shared a quick glance with here two brothers as well as her silent mother, "How is that possible?" she asked.

The two wolves could not answer the question. This was beyond their experience.

"It's doesn't matter," Moro said firmly, "Humans know of many different methods to fool our sense of smell. This one is probably using one of those methods. Look how he wears a cloak made from the skins of our kin."

"Uh, sorry for butting in, but please listen," the human called out, "If I'm not welcome here, well, I'm sorry if I've offended you. And if it makes any difference to you, I'll leave right now."

San looked back at Moro, "Mother?"

The giant Wolf-God narrowed her large eyes and scowled deeply. "Kill him," she said calmly. "It will be one less human to worry about in the future."

Hearing this, Kiba and Tsume began to slowly make there way towards the Human, exposing their razor sharp fangs.

"Hey, wait a minute!" the human said, obviously understanding what the two silvery wolves' intentions were. "Can't we talk about this?"

The growling beasts paid no attention to his plea and continued to advance towards the fallen tree where their prey was standing. However, as soon as they had made it to the middle of the shallow river, they suddenly stopped moving as a louder roar was heard. Something shot up from behind Alex and landed right in front of him.

It was a huge wolf-like creature, somewhere around Kiba and Tsume's height. Its body was very powerful as the hair's on its back stood up, almost giving it the appearance of a mane. Its body was colored in brownish gold fur, with brown stripes on its body, a big fluffy tail resembling that of a foxes. Its mouth was showing off sharp and vicious teeth, as its big pointy ears were folded behind to show its vicious streak, and its eyes, all green with black dots to them, added to this creatures ferocity.

"Oh great," Alex muttered in dread, "Another killer dog that wants me as dinner."

"Don't worry, Alex," the creature growled as it turned its attention back to Kiba and Tsume, "Your spiritual familiar and guide's here to pull you out of the fire."

Alex looked at the creature in confusion, wondering how it knew his name. but then, it hit him as he recognized the fur and the stripe pattern, and looked at the creature in surprise, "… Isaac?"

It was perhaps the most terrifying and confusing minute Alex had had ever experienced. Isaac, now a gargantuan wolf creature, just stared and growled at the approaching wolves who stared back with looks of disbelief. None of the four animals made a sound as the growling stopped. Alex was at a total loss of words as he watched the silent exchange between the now-enlarged fox-squirrel and the large wolves. It was almost as though they were engaged in some sort of debate which only they could understand. The scene was very unsettling.

After another minute of the silent exchange, Moro rose to her feet and began walking towards the forest. The two smaller wolves followed just a few paces behind her, one of which was dragging an entire ox carcass in its mouth. When the three carnivorous beast were gone, only the girl was left. For a while, both could only stare at each other.

"It looks as though your friends had a change of heart," Alex said, smiling slightly, relived to even be alive.

The girl scowled at seeing him smile, "Don't get the wrong idea, human," she retorted with a biting tone.

Don't worry," Alex retorted as he weakly waved only once, "Ummm, by the way. In future reference, if we ever meet again, my name's Alex…"

"I don't care!" she spat, "This wasn't an act of mercy, so don't for a second think that you and I are on friendly terms, because we're not!"

Alex gave the wolf-girl a lop-sided grin, "I guess this means that I can't ask you out on a date?"

"Just stay out of my forest, human!" the girl shouted as she began to walk towards the spot along the trees where the three wolves had disappeared, "And pray we never see each other again. Because if our paths ever cross again, I'll rip the tubes from your neck!"

Alex watched the girl run towards the trees when he suddenly remembered something. "Hey wait a minute!" he called out.

The wolf girl stopped and looked back at him. "What?" she asked, still scowling.

"This dagger wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?" Alex produced the strange weapon he had been carrying around in his supply sack and held it high in the air, "I'd be happy to give it back, if you want it."

For a moment, all the girl could do was stare at the young outlander with a confused looked. Finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them, she spoke., "Do what you want with it, human," she replied, no less hostile in tone than she had been just moments before. "It makes no difference to me. You can piss on it for all I care." Just as she was about to turn her back and leave, there was a sharp clang of metal hitting and scraping against the rocks. When she looked down she saw the dagger lying flat against the ground, just inches from her feet. She jerked her head upwards to meet Alex's gentle smile.

"Thank you very much, but I have a little more respect for women than that," said Alex. He then crossed his arms and chuckled. "Besides, I already have my own blade."

The wolf-girl bent down and retrieved the weapon from the ground and slipped it under her sash, not once taking her eyes off the young outlander. When she stood she sniffed curtly at the air and darted off into the forest.

As Alex watched her leave he couldn't help but grin broadly. Not only had he the privilege to encounter what may very well had been the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but he was still alive to appreciate it. "I'll be seeing you around…" he whispered, the girl's every fine feature fresh in his memory, "… Princess of the wolves."

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Realms of Wolves and Demons; Final Destination Iron Town**

* * *

* * *


	10. Realm of Gods and Demons

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Realms of Wolves and Demons; Final Destination Iron Town**

* * *

With a loud sigh of relief, Alex collapsed onto the fallen tree and sat with his legs stretched over the curved surface. For what seemed like minutes on end he just sat there and stared blankly into space, his chest rising and falling with the long breaths he took in. Though words alone could not describe the sense of joy and relief he felt for still being alive, the young outlander was finding that fact more difficult to believe as the seconds passed.

Isaac, still in his Large Form, looked at Alex and hopped up, making the trees shake and groan due to his weight. He looked at his human companion as he raised an eyebrow. He lowered his head to the boy's eyelevel as he asked, "Hey, Alex… you alright?"

In all truth, he should have been dead right now. He had literally come face to face with both the Wolf-God, Moro, and her human daughter, the Princess Mononoke. Surviving an encounter with one would have been challenging enough, but to survive an encounter with both, along with two more vicious wolves, would have seemed beyond impossible… even for a guy who was cursed by a Demon-God, making him into a powerful half-demon.

"Kari's never gonna believe me when I tell her and Dad about this," Alex said to himself while he brushed his fingers through his hair.

Isaac raised an eyebrow at this boy. A minute ago, he was nearly about to wet himself from almost getting eaten, and now, he was just happy to meet the girl who said she'd cut his throat out. He shook his head as he muttered, "I'll never understand how that mind of yours works." but now he noticed that Alex's mind was on something else. His thoughts were suddenly invaded by the image of the wolf-girl.

As he let the picture of her frightening yet serene face fill the furthest depths of his mind, he began to smile again. I guess one of the rumors was true,' he whispered. 'Lovelier than the loveliest cherry blossom......Brighter than the brightest of the sun's rays....Sharper than the sharpest of blades..…' He suddenly pushed all of it out of his mind and shook his head violently, "God, I really need to get a real social life."

Isaac tilted his head as he watched the young human's movements and listened to his words with undivided curiosity. After watching for awhile, in a flash of flame, startling Alex in the process. After the flame had died out, Isaac had returned to his normal size and form.

The young outlander looked down at Isaac, returned to normal, and smiled, "Sorry," he said. "Sometimes you're so quiet I forgot you were sitting there." He stood and continued to look down at his furry companion. I don't know what you did, Isaac..... But you really saved my butt, big time."

"Well, glad to be of help," Isaac smirked as he hopped onto Alex and scurried up to his shoulder, "Does this mean you'll give me an extra helping of that smoked meat?"

"We'll see about that," Alex chuckled, but then asked, "So how did you do that? Turn into that huge wolf creature?"

Isaac smirked as he looked to Alex, "Well, what I'd tell you? I'm a forest spirit; we're loaded with talent." this earned a moment of silence from the two, as they just smiled at one another. In truth, they had gained a new level of their friendship as they had learned something from one another.

"HELP!!!" someone screamed loudly, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"Now what?" Alex asked jumping to his feet and quickly making his way back down the rocky slope. He clutched a root tightly when his shoe boots suddenly slipped on the one of the wet rocks, which caused him to falter, 'This is the last thing I need right now!'

* * *

**Back at the Stop Spot**

* * *

When he reached the flat spot where they had left the two injured men, to Alex's surprise, found to his surprise that one of them was moving. And to add to that extra serving of astonishment, the one who was moving was the scrawny looking man who had all the broken bones.

"G-g-g-get away from me, y-y-you m-m-m-onster!" the man cried as he continued to wriggle backwards along the ground with his two usable limbs.

Alex stood stiffly and looked at the panicked man with a raised eyebrow. 'What the hell is this guy's problem?'

That was when he and Isaac heard it. A loud clicking sound, like the clattering of pieces of wood rattling against each other. The future youth felt a chill pass over him when he realized that he had heard the sound before. Where and when, was back near the Sacred Tree and when he touched the core; he knew for certain that he had heard it before. He lifted his eyes from where the man was crawling and looked towards the small rock that was just a few paces in front of him. His jaw suddenly felt limp and dropped open at what he saw.

It was one the strangest things he had ever seen in his life, barely a foot in height with a chubby little doll body and an overly large round head that was slightly tilted to one side. Its eyes and mouth looked as though they had been bored out with a drill, each one a different size than the others. Alex could only stare while the strange little creature sat silently watching both him and the terrified man with a look of curiosity.

"A Kodama," Isaac chirped as he smiled, "Never thought I'd see another one in a while."

"Kodama?" Alex asked, interested to hear about this.

"They're tree spirits," Alex explained to his future-bearing companion, "They're pretty harmless; all they do is wander around the forest and make that sound with their heads. But mostly, they're a sign showing that this forest and all the plants in them are healthy."

After hearing that, Alex sighed and smiled at that. "Well, that's a relief." if that was true, then Alex decided to calm the fellow down as he made his way to him.

"Oh G-G-Gods! keep away from me!" the man screamed though a trembling mouth, continuing to push himself away from the seemingly harmless little creature.

"Hey!" Alex hissed, clutching the man's shoulder gently, "Will you chill out already? You're making me want to scream out loud."

The man jerked his head around to meet Alex's hard gaze and cowered slightly. Wh-wh-wh-wh- who are you? W-w-w-what're you going to do with me?"

Alex shot the man am irritated look, "First of all, Bub, I'm they guy who pulled your busted-up butt from the water over there. Second of all I'm not going to do anything to you." he then raised an eyebrow as he gave the man a reassured smirk, "Have I cleared up all the loose ends, now?"

"Please, young stranger!" the man pleaded grabbing a handful of Alex's cloak, "You have to get me away from here!"

"What's the rush?" The youth retorted.

"That!" The man pointed at the little white creature which was still watching them. "You have to get me away from that, that, that thing!"

As if responding to the human's words, the creature began to tilt its head further to the side, making sharp clicking sounds as its bulbous face continued to rotate until it was upside-down. Then, as if a switch had been released, the creature's head sprung around on its axis and made that strange rattling noise. The action almost made it seem like it was some sort of living windup toy.

Alex couldn't help but chuckle, "What's the problem. You're not afraid of this little guy are you?" He chuckled again, "He's too cute to hurt anybody; he's like a cross between Gizmo and the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Nobody can go wrong with that combination."

"Are you a fool, stranger?" The man replied with a frightened expression on his thin face. Can't you recognize a kodama when you see one?

"Yeah, now I do," Alex reassured the man, "I also know that this guy doesn't do harm. He's just curious, judging by the way he's looking at us."

"But now it's going to call forth its lord and master!" He covered his face with his hand and began to sob. "And then we'll both be finished!

"Who?" Alex asked, "You mean Moro and her wolf tribe?"

"No, I mean a real monster!" the man explained in a rambling tone, as he stopped sobbing so quickly, "Except it's a huge enormous deer, except they say it's got a human's face at day, and then at night they say it's…" The kodama suddenly stood up and began to walk away. As it moved further away from the two humans its body slowly started to fade into the air until it could no longer be seen.

"Gaaaah! Where'd it go? Where'd it go?" The man looked left and right, trembling as though he were a living earthquake, "We're doomed, I tell you. Doomed…" His last word became garbled when a large amount of water was splashed in his face.

"Will you get a hold of yourself?" Alex shouted causing the man to cower, "I know you're probably scared to jump out of your diaper right now, but the least you can do is shut up and think straight." He took a deep breath then continued. "Are we thinking straight, now?" the man nodded. "Am I going to have to splash you again?" The man then shook his head. Alex smirked at his accomplishment, "Alrighty then, how's about your name?"

"I-I-I…" The man still felt a bit dazed from the splash of water to his face, and found himself stammering. K-K-Koroku... My name's Koroku.

"Okay.....Koroku," Alex replied, "You and your friend are both pretty lucky to be alive, but you're both in pretty bad shape." He looked at the man dressed in the orange tunic who was still unconscious, making his male nurse instincts kick in, "And if we don't get him help he's probably going to die. So do you think you can calm down and tell me where you live?"

Koroku looked over his shoulder and pointed towards the forest, "Our home's just beyond this forest." he cringed then gave Alex a spineless grin, "But since its suicide to even set foot in there, I suggest we take the oxen trail along the mountain."

Alex, using all his medical training that his dad had pounded into him non-stop, began to gently probed the other man's body for injuries. He found that this one also had a few broken bones and a deep gash along his temple. "How long would it take to reach your home if we go along the trail?" he asked.

"O-h-h-h," Koroku began estimating the distance in his head, "Probably about a day, maybe a little less."

Alex shook his head, "We can scrap that idea, then," he said tearing off a strip of the orange tunic and wrapping it around the injured man's head. "This guy's gonna die unless we get him some medical help real soon. And by soon I mean yesterday."

Koroku frowned, "I'm afraid that I don't quiet understand your reasoning, young sir."

"It's simple," Alex retorted while binding the man's left arm in a makeshift splint, "We either take a chance and go through the forest, thereby saving this guy's life, or we go the long, safe way and risk having him die on us." He moved over to where Koroku was sitting and began to tend to his injuries as well. I don't know about you, Bub, but I'd rather not live the remainder of my life with that on my conscience."

"B-b-but young sir," Koroku returned with wide eyes, "You'll be taking us right through the wolves' territory!"

"Hey, you need a little dangerous fun in your life, once in a while," said Alex with a faint grin.

"That's saying a lot," Isaac murmured quietly, not trying to spook out Koroku even more.

Before Koroku could respond to the young outlander's remark his eyes widened even more and he gasped loudly.

"There's more of them!" he screamed, "I knew it! We're doomed!"

Alex looked at him quizzically, "Say what?"

When he looked up from the leg he had been tending to, he saw that the little kodama had returned, along with a dozen more of its kind. As Alex watched the strange little creatures appear from out of nowhere, he noticed that no two kodama looked alike. Each one was completely different in appearance, possessing its own unique shape and size. Some had round heads like the first one that had appeared, while others had heads in the shape of ovals, rectangles, and some even had heads that were even larger than their actual bodies. They even varied in color.

The more Alex watched the kodama as the rattled their heads, the more Alex wanted to take a picture of them. But when he looked back at the unconscious man lying silently on the ground he knew that such things would have to wait. "We have to go through the forest," he finally said with steely conviction in his voice.

Koroku cringed and whimpered pathetically while the little tree spirits appeared and disappeared all around him. "Eeeegh…" he said with a cowardly frown, "What do they want? Oh, for the love of the Gods, what do they want?"

Alex looked around and saw that some of the kodama had formed wide smiles on their strangely shaped faces as they continued to rattled their heads. When he looked at the spot where Isaac had been lying quietly, which was on the ox's backside, he saw that some of the smaller kodama had taken up jumping and climbing all over the fox-squirrel's back and head.

To Alex surprise, the fox-squirrel didn't seem mind, "If Isaac or the ox aren't bothered by them, then I don't think they're here to hurt us, Koroku," he said. "And I don't think they're going to call forth their lord and master to kill us." He walked over to the oxen he had brought with him and slowly led it over to Koroku. "Do you think you can ride this thing?"

The man gave him an amused look, "Ride? Young sir, you 'drive' oxen, not ride them. I should know I happen to be an ox-driver myself."

"Well then, Mr. Ox-driver," Alex retorted curtly. "You can either be the unconventional one and ride this fat grass muncher here, or you can walk the whole way. In which, I don't recommend the latter; you need to stay off that leg as much as possible. Of course if neither of those choices appeal to you, you can just sit here on your loin cloth-covered butt and wait for the wolves to return for their evening snack," He shot Koroku a sly look, "If I were you, I'd think it over before I make that choice."

A single, green colored, kodama who had a head shaped like a pear was now sitting atop the black ox's back. It's hollow little eyes seemed glued to Alex's every movement.

The young outlander smiled and leaned closer to the small tree spirit, "I know you probably can't understand a word I'm saying, or if we're too much of a bother to you and the forest," he began, feeling a bit silly that he was actually talking to something he had once regarded as simple mumbo-jumbo in the past. He then respectfully bowed his head to the kodama, "But these men here are badly injured, and one might even be dying. So do you think… well… would you guys mind showing us the way out of here?"

For a moment it seemed as though the kodama was just going to sit there and stare blankly at Alex. Then, to the young outlander's surprise and amusement, it smiled and began shaking its head wildly. The other kodama did the same, and the woods became filled with their strange rattling.

Alex smirked at this, "I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

**Later On**

**Deep Within the Forest**

* * *

The forest was far from quiet. Everywhere Alex and Isaac looked the two saw the kodama, either rattling their heads contently while sitting along the thick branches of the trees, or scampering around their feet as they slowly walked across the soft ground.

'Sheesh, there must be hundreds of them!' the youth thought to himself, 'Maybe even thousands!' He probably would have been able to enjoy the scene completely had it not been for the unconscious man he was carrying on his back. He felt thankful that the month he had spent in these ancient lands had helped him develop a fair amount of physical strength. Otherwise, carrying the injured man like this would have been impossible for him.

"Ummm, young sir?" Koroku called out as he rode bare-back on the ox., "I really must insist that we turn around and just go along the oxen trail like I suggested earlier."

"Fine, Koroku," Alex said bitterly, "You just keep on insisting. Insist to you're heart's content, I won't stop you. Just don't expect a meaningful response from me, okay." He groaned and shook his head to fling the sweat off his face, 'Crap, this guy's heavy.'

"Did I mention, young sir, that nobody's ever walked out of these woods alive?"

"So I keep hearing," The young outlander stopped for a moment to catch his breath, "No offense or anything, but you seriously need to get yourself a backbone."

The ox-driver nodded. "I know, my wife says the very same thing," he gave Alex a half smile, "Now that I think about it, you two are very much alike."

"I'm flattered," Alex replied sardonically before continuing on through the forest. "Just don't get any bright ideas, alright?" He glanced to the side where Isaac was busy giving five smaller kodama a ride on his back. To Alex, this was enough to make him break out into a fit of laughter. Since he had allowed the fox-squirrel to tag along with him, the small animal had never missed an opportunity to hitch a ride inside the supply sack. Now it was Isaac himself who was giving the rides.

The youth looked up along the slope he and the other were climbing and watched the kodama who had been guiding them through the forest. The small creature ran along the roots of trees and small shrubs that poked out of the ground. "Hey, little guy," Nathan called out with a pained smile, "Are you actually helping us get out of this place? Or are you just getting us more lost?"

The little, green Forest spirit turned around at rattled its head, then continued to scamper over the top of the slope.

"Well, that certainly cleared things up," Alex muttered.

Feeling the injured man's weight beginning to take its toll on him, he fell to one knee and let his head hang limply on his exhausted neck. When his blurry eyes shifted to his right he saw that a small group of kodama had taken up carrying each other on their backs in an attempt to mimic him. Some even went as far as to copy the painful expression on the young human's face. "Oh that's real cute, guys," he said bitterly and pushed himself back onto his feet.

"Please, young sir. I'm pretty sure they're not trying to help us get out of here," Koroku continued to whine. But then he gulped as a crowd of kodama came running past him, "Oh my Gods, there's like thousands of them."

It was then that Isaac looked up and saw where the Kodama were leading them. They were running towards a pathway made by a giant old tree, still teaming with life. Isaac smirked as he whispered to Alex, "That must be their mother. A fine old tree." and skipped on up ahead, with Alex and Koroku behind him as they made their way to it.

* * *

**Tree Gateway**

* * *

After another few grueling minutes of struggling up the sloping twisted paths between the trees, the small group came upon what looked like a maze of crystal clear water pools that was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of giant trees, bigger than anything the two humans had ever seen before.

Alex marveled at the incredible scene and took in a lung full of the sweet air that flowed in its balmy atmosphere, untainted and untouched by human hands. "This place…" he whispered, "This place is so cool and beautiful... like something out of a dream."

He shook his head and began to make his way towards the pools, Koroku and the ox following just a few steps behind. When he set his foot onto the ground, he could feel it sink into the moss that covered the soft earth and could hear the water squishing around the rubber bottom of his shoe.

When they got closer to the pools they found that everything was much larger than they had originally thought them to be. The pools were in fact the size of small lakes. And the trees... their size was beyond unfathomable. The roots alone were probably as thick around as the ox's body and weaved through the ground and water like massive snakes frozen in time. Beams of sunlight speared through the holes in the massive forest canopy above, while the gentle sound of running water filled the air. This forest was almost like it was created to become a part of heaven.

As Alex continued to make his way through the maze of lakes and trees his eyes caught sight of something on the ground. When he looked closer he found a set of tracks that had been left in the moss. One pair was clearly animal, canine to say the least, while the other pair was that of a small human, female to be precise. They were the tracks of the wolves and of the Princess Mononoke.

"Great," he said silently. "The last thing I need right now is to run into that crazy, mood-swinging girl again." After taking a quick look around, he slowly moved towards the edge of the water and carefully set the injured man he had been carrying on the ground. "Let's take five," he called out to Koroku.

"Take five what, young sir?", Koroku asked in confusion.

The youth shook his head, 'I've gone through this routine way too many times.' Alex looked to Koroku as he cleared up the confusion, "It means let's rest for a moment, for about five or six minutes. I don't know about you but my legs are killing me!"

"I would imagine," Koroku replied, "By the way, young sir…"

"Please, Koroku, stop calling me that," Alex retorted politely, "My name's Alex."

"Alright young si—er," Koroku corrected himself, "I mean… Alex. I was just curious as to where you're from?"

"Where I'm from?" Alex asked as he sat down by the edge of the water.

"Yes," the ox-driver replied, "You wear such strange clothing and your skin's almost as dark as the color brown. Now, I'm not the most brightest man in the world, but I assume that you're not from our lands."

Alex splashed some of the clear water on his face and wiped away the sticky sweat. "I'm not," he said, "In fact my homeland's nowhere near these parts. It's not even close to this island, but I moved here about a month ago."

"Amazing!" Koroku exclaimed, "What're you doing so far from home?"

The young outlander sank his hand into his jean pocket and produced the iron ball. "Ever seen anything like this before?" he asked, hoping to get a better answer than the one he had gotten from the traveling monk, Jigo.

Koroku only looked at the dark object for a second before answering, "Why, yes I have sir."

Alex's eyes widened, "Where? Where've you seen them?"

The ox-driver became nervous and fidgeted, "Well..... my village makes them from the iron we dig up."

"How many does it make?"

"Hundreds," he continued.

Alex's eyes widened even more, "Hundreds?" He pondered for a moment then looked back up at Koroku, "Your village wouldn't happen be called Iron Town, would it?"

"It is Sir!" the ox-driver exclaimed.

Alex then became silent and looked away from the older man. 'So.....these guys work for the monsters who got me into this mess.' He frowned and glanced at the iron ball in his hand, 'And they make hundreds of these things.'

A small butterfly fluttered passed his face and landed just a few feet away from him. As it rested quietly on the damp moss, its purple wings seem to shift in brightness and color. After another moment of resting, the small insect jerked upward and flew over to a small lump of moss covered rock was sticking out of the water where many more of its kind were fluttering.

Alex's eyes followed the butterfly until it landed on the mossy-lump. It was then that he spotted yet another footprint, this one was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It had not been left by a wolf, nor had it been left by a human. The footprint's shape was almost bird-like, with three large toes that extended outward in a triangular configuration.

The young outlander glazed his eyes in the direction the footprint was pointing and found another, this one was imprinted on the bottom of the shallow pond. He continued to look onward and found another track, then another, and another. When he looked for the fifth track he found absolutely nothing, it was as though whatever had made the tracks just disappeared, leaving nothing behind. 'Now that's just strange,' he thought to himself as he continued to stare at the last footprint. 'It's like something from out of the X-files,' He laughed and began to softly whistle the show's opening theme song as he got up and walked over to where the ox and Koroku were still waiting.

"Ummmm, Alex," Koroku said hesitantly, "I really do think we should keep moving. This is place for Gods and Demons. If they find us here, they'll kill us for sure."

Alex glanced at Isaac who was resting quietly at the ox's feet. The fox-squirrel looked back at him and sniffed at the air. Though it was very faint, Alex could detect a trace of irritation in the animal's expression, "I hear you loud and clear, lil' buddy."

He rummaged through his supply sack which was dangling around the ox's neck and pulled out his rice bowl. He then quickly made his way back towards the water., "We'll go as soon as I feel up to lugging this guy's ass through the forest again," he replied, dipping the red bowl into the water, filling it. "Until then, just chill out for awhile, alright?"

When he lifted the bowl out of the water the youth looked back at the tracks to study them once more. 'I wonder what left these?' he thought, 'Some kinda bird? No...... too big for a bird. But then again......it would explain why the tracks just end like that.' His eyes shifted slowly from left to right, scanning the area, and taking in every detail.

When his gaze came to rest on a cluster of thick trees that were at the other side of the lakes, a strange feeling suddenly crept up on him, causing his skin to feel chilly. When he looked deeper through the trees, the blood seemed to drain from his every vein and artery.

A brilliant shaft of yellow light, like the rays of a small sun was shining through the cracks and gaps between the trees, filling that small part of the forest with a warm blanket of luminosity. The scene would have been very pleasant to gaze upon had it not been for the strange, dark shape that moved about the light. Though the shape was too far away and too obscure to clearly see, Alex was certain of one thing; it wasn't human. When the shaped moved further into view its feature began to take on actual form. It had a long neck with two pairs of equally long legs. Atop its head, like a massive crown, was a set of thick antlers that extended outward like branches of a tree.

At first, after seeing this single detail, Alex was almost certain that he was looking at some sort of deer. But when the large creature stopped and turned its antlered head in his direction, the youth knew that this wasn't the case at all. He just continued to stare at the deer-like creature which just looked back at him.

He suddenly clutched his right hand in agony as he felt something pounding against the inside of his flesh. The throbbing increased, and he began to feel his body heat rising to the point where he felt like he was living furnace. His legs suddenly gave out from under him, and he collapsed to the ground. As he grasped his wrist to where the chain band was, he found it difficult to breath, and his ears were plagued by a horrendous high pitched buzzing that reverberated through the nerves of his brain.

It was then that the black ooze began to spread out from his band once again. This time, it began to cover not only his hand and forearm, but now it began to crawl up the rest of his arm until it would reach his shoulder. The black ooze encompassing his arm began to ripple and throb. Just then, the red jewel glowed, and the golden band began to sprout out metallic tentacles that began to wrap around the infecting areas. Holding back his screams, Alex folded his arms around each other and pressed his right arm tightly against his chest. And then his head began to throb as well, as two black vein-like glyphs started to connect to his right eye, making the white of it become pitch black. He tore his hood away from his face, threw it aside and clutched his head with both hands. Out of all the sudden attacks he had experienced since he had been cursed, this one was the worst, as the black ooze began to stretch farther, almost reaching his neck and chest. Even now, the gold band was also getting stronger; as instead of a vein-designed armor, it was becoming more like a skin-tight armor on his right arm, and on the forearm the metal was expanding, making his forearm much bigger. Alex realized even more that not only was the curse getting even worse than before, but it was becoming more powerful.

"Young sir?" Koroku called out as he watched the young outlander writhing on the ground. "Young sir, are you alright?"

Alex could only respond with a cry of agony that was pushed through clenched teeth and pressed his head into the moss while clutching at the ground with his now armored right hand. Even though this pain came from the curse held in his wrist chain, is whole body felt as though it were on fire and felt as though it was just moments away from splitting open.

Even through all the pain he was going through, all the while he fought to maintain control. The last thing he wanted was to loose both his mind and his body to the power of the cursed parasite inside him. If that happened there was no telling what he would be capable of now that the demon ooze and armor had begun to spread all over his body instead of just his forearm and hand. As the burning continued to throb through his flesh, the youth fought with all his strength to suppress the seizure until it passed, as did the creature that walked away from sight. The black ooze began to melt off once more as it did the first time, and the golden yellow armor began to retract back into the wrist chain, and finally, the red gem began to fade its glowing. And finally, he squeezed his eyes, letting out tears, only his right eye seemed to cry out black tears, as his right eye returned to normal.

That was, if it was going to pass this time, which at the moment did not seem likely.

But, as time passed, the pain slowly began to subside, draining away from his body like water. When he no longer felt the pain in his body or a faint voice inside his head, Alex lay on the mossy ground and gasped for air. He opened his eyes and with his left hand, rubbed away the tears and sweat on his face. When he looked to his right, he saw Isaac standing just inches away from him, sniffing at his face. "I guess I lost it, again," he said and sat up.

"No, you didn't lose anything," Isaac whispered to him, reassuring his friend as he placed his front left paw on Alex's right hand, "Something was out there that caused the curse to react in such a way."

The two then glanced at where the light and the strange creature had been. Both were gone.

"Young sir, are you alright?" Koroku called out again, "You looked as though you were being turned inside out."

Alex reached over and picked up his rice bowl, "I'm fine, Koroku," he replied, slipping the hood of his cloak over the upper-half of his face.

"You didn't look fine," the ox-driver retorted. "You clutched your arm in pain and started rolling all over the ground."

"Just forget the whole thing ever happened." Alex then retrieved his bowl from the water and took it over to where the still unconscious man was lying. He carefully lifted the man's head slightly and carefully began to pour the crystal clear water from the bowl into his mouth. Alex felt relief pass over him when the man swallowed. "By the way," he started.

"Yes," Koroku answered leaning towards Alex.

Alex looked back a the now dark spot behind the trees where he had seen the strange creature and sighed. "Never mind," he said, shaking his head. He the looked down at Isaac, who was peering at him with a inquisitive expression. "It was probably just my imagination." he then sighed as he thought in suspicion, 'It's gone… whatever it was…'

* * *

**Back on the Trail**

* * *

As soon as he was completely recovered from the siege on his body, the young outlander and the small group left the lakes and continued on through the forest. This time, however, the little kodama were not there to guide them. Alex didn't mind this, because for one reason or another Isaac seemed to have a fairly good idea as to where they needed to go.

Carrying the injured man was also easier than it had been earlier. The man, who probably weighed just below two-hundred pounds, now felt as light as a small brick. Though Alex liked this sudden development beyond words, it puzzled him. Just an hour before he had nearly crumbled to the ground out of exhaustion by carrying this guy; now he felt as though he could carry four more like him.

"Must be something the marks are causing," he said to himself. "Maybe it's releasing some sort of superhuman abilities when it thinks its host's being threatened. I guess it is like I'm carrying around a symbiote and a parasite all in one neat little package." he looked to Isaac on his shoulder as he asked, "You think the curse might have something to do with this?"

"Possibly," Isaac answered, "Though I'm not very knowledgeable on how every curse works." he then looked onward in front of them as he went on, "Every curse works differently to enhance its host; for some, speed, others, agility. And for you, apparently, could be strength and power. But it's just my guess."

"Alex, my arm!"

The youth looked over his shoulder and saw Koroku looking at his fractured arm. "What's wrong with it, now?" he asked, somewhat annoyed. Though he really didn't have anything against the ox-driver, he found his constant whining and complaining extremely irritating.

"Nothing!" the man called out with a big smile, "It doesn't hurt anymore!" He then took his arm out of its sling and held it high above his head. "The Gods have healed it!" There was a sudden cracking noise which caused him to clutch his arm in pain. Nope, it's still broken.

Isaac just sweat dropped at the human's idiocy, while Alex stared wide eyed and with an open mouth, and then finally shouted, "THEN STOP MESSING WITH IT, YOU IDIOT!"He shook his head and continued on.

* * *

**Later On**

* * *

By the time the group finally made it out of the forest, the sun was just starting to sink behind the peaks of the mountains, filling the sky with a golden mask of color. When Alex, Isaac, and the ox-riding Koroku stepped over the slope of a grassy hill, they all stopped and looked out at what lay just a mile ahead.

It was a massive lake that lay in the valley of forest covered mountains. At the base of one of the mountains was a large compound of man-made structures that was surrounded by a wall of thick logs. The compound had been built on top of a gargantuan hill of earth that rose from the waters of the lake like a giant boil, covered with hundreds pointed logs that jutted out of the ground like the thorny spines of a puffer fish. Only a single dirt bridge connected it to the land walnut shell.

What Alex seemed to notice the most was loud clanging that resonated from behind the walls and all through the valley, and the clouds of black smoke that belched from the largest structure, a pyramid-shaped building that dwarfed all the other buildings in its shadow. The foul-smelling fumes of the smoke seemed to permeate the all the air in the area, for when the young outlander breathed, he felt a burning sensation fill his nose and mouth as well as his lungs and stomach. The next things he noticed was that waters that surrounded the compound were brown and murky, and the lower part of the closest mountain had been stripped of everything living, leaving it bare and lifeless.

"What the heck is that place?" Alex asked.

"It's Lady Eboshi's Iron Town," Koroku replied laughing with joy, "We forge iron from ore we mine from the mountain." He laughed and playfully patted the ox's back, "We did it, Alex! We made it back alive just like you said we would!" With that he gave the horned animal a quick slap on the rump, causing it to lurch forward. "Come on, let's go while there's still light."

Alex smirked at seeing Koroku's excitement, "Glad to know he's happy," but then he frowned as he continued to look at the smoke spewing compound a moment more. He took out the iron ball from his pocket and stared glacially at it. 'So.....this is where you were made, huh?' He returned his attention to the so-called, Iron Town and narrowed his eyes. 'I hate the place already.' With a deep frown he pulled his cloak's hood over his face and proceeded to follow Koroku and the ox with Isaac following just a few steps behind him.

As they neared the lake, Koroku began to wave and shout happily at two fishermen who were tending to their day's catch.

"Hey!" the man cried out, "Hey, it's me, Koroku! Koroku the ox-driver!" He laughed loudly and continued to wave at the group.

When they finally reached the bank the two fishermen rushed towards their injured comrades, completely ignoring Alex and his furry little companion. "Koroku!" one of them called out joyfully as he made his way over to the black ox, "You're alive!"

"We all thought you were dead!" the other added, "What happened?"

"It's a long story," Koroku replied, "But I'm alive, so that all that matters, right?"

"Toki was worried to tears," The first man chimed in, "It took her nearly an hour to finally stop crying." He grinned slyly. "had you not shown up just now.....well, I might have found myself comforting her in a nice quiet place, if you know what I'm saying."

While the three men continued to talk and laugh amongst themselves, Alex walked over to the small boat that was tethered to the bank, with the injured man still slung over his back. Being careful not to damage the man any more than he already was, the young outlander slowly lowered him into the boat.

"Hey!" someone called out from behind him, getting his attention, "What the hell do you think you're doing over there?"

When Alex turned around he found himself facing two very angry looking fishermen. "Were you trying to steal our catch?" the first one, a man with a small beard, growled, "Is that it, you dirty little thief?"

"Kigogi, wait a minute!" Koroku said quickly, "This young man was the one who brought me here. It's because of him that I'm still alive!"

The fishermen wrinkled his nose for second, then looked at Alex with a slight frown. "Is this true, stranger?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the youth replied, modestly as he bowed his head in respect.

"He also brought one of the riflemen back too!"

The two fishermen exchanged nervous looks then looked back at Alex. "Well, I suppose you can't be all that bad then," one of them said with a faint smile, "Seeing as how you've brought our two friends back like this."

"And through the forbidden forest, too!" the other fishermen added, "You must have balls as hard as the iron we forge!"

Isaac just snickered from that part, "If he did, he'd be in pain right about now."

Alex just stared at the two men with a gaping expression, and a sweat drop, "Ummmm....yeah," he said flatly. "Balls as hard as iron, right, got it.…" He tried to keep a straight face, 'I've stumbled across the land of the iron fanatics.'

"Come on," said the first fishermen helping Koroku to the boat. "The others will be thrilled when they see that you're still alive." He then looked towards Alex, "And I'm sure Lady Eboshi will want to have a look at the one who brought these two men back to her."

Alex forced a wide grin, "Sound's great."

Isaac crawled up on Alex, and perched himself on his shoulder, whispering, "You've got that 'I'm up to something' look on your face, kiddo."

"No, I'm not. This is my 'free eats and lodging happiness' look," Alex reassured.

* * *

**Iron Town**

* * *

By the time the boat reached the bank just outside the walls of Iron Town, the entire compound was in a loud uproar. Men and women alike were lining up along the dirt bank talking excitedly and pointing as they awaited the two survivor's arrival. The boat scraped against the bank until it finally came to a stop. Before Koroku could even say a word, he was greeted by a large group of his fellow ox-drivers and was literally smothered with questions.

"How can you still be alive?" a man asked, "I saw the Wolf-God throw you over the cliff!"

Koroku grinned and chuckled, but then the really dour questions came in, "Are you the only ones who survived?"

Another man with a thin mustache clutched Koroku's shoulders and stared at him with a wide look of desperation. "Is my son with you?" He asked hysterically, "Did he survive too? Is he alright? Please, I must know!"

Koroku gave the man a saddened frown and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "But.....I'm afraid that we're the only one's who survived. I'm sorry."

The man silently nodded, and began to make his way to a plumpish woman dressed in a light blue kimono who was holding a large basket over her head. When he was finally facing her he lowered his head and began to speak quietly. As soon as the words were spoken, the woman dropped the basket and collapsed to her knees. As she sobbed uncontrollably, her husband comforted her, as did a few of the women standing nearby.

While the group of men carefully lifted Koroku out of the boat, a large number of men who were dressed in orange tunics and strips of white cloth that hid their faces, hurried down the dirt slope and huddled around the still unconscious man lying in the boat.

As Alex watched the group carry off unconscious the man, he noticed that their tunics matched in color. Watching this, he came to the conclusion that the man he had been carrying was a member of some sort of guard, and the men carrying him off were his comrades. One of the orange-tunic wearing men stopped, turned towards Alex, and bowed. "Thank you, stranger," the man said before running off to rejoin his comrades.

Alex blinked behind his wolf-furred cloak and looked about at the villagers around him. Many were staring at him, and whispering to one another while pointing either at his leather jacket or at his face. Though there appeared to be no threat or spite intended, Alex couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. When he thought about it, the youth had felt less uncomfortable when he had been on the receiving end of the Princess Mononoke's dark scowls.

"Listen to me, everyone!" Koroku called out, "This young man saved our lives, and carried the rifleman all the way here. You should be grateful to him!" He suddenly yelped in pain, "Owww, my arm! Watch the arm!"

A young woman, around his age, dressed in a dark green kimono turned to Alex, hesitated, then asked, "Is that true?"

Alex gave her a half smile and reached his hand around to scratch his nose, "We....I..uhhh... yeah I guess you could say th…"

"Hold it right there!" Someone called out fiercely, "Don't even move a finger!"

Alex looked up the slope and saw a burly looking man marching down towards him, flanked by two more men who looked like something you would find in one of those cheesy ninja movies. The man who had called out to him had a black beard and a shaven head, and was dressed in a dark colored military tunic. By the way the man moved and by the forceful demeanor he possessed in his posture and expression, it was easy to tell that he held some sort of high rank among the villagers. Alex gulped to himself, 'Oh boy. Here comes trouble…'

As the man continued towards Alex and Isaac, the crowds of villagers moved aside, making room for him and his two ninja-flunkies. He stopped a few steps away from the young outlander and scowled. "I'm Gonza," he said gruffly, "I'm Captain of the guard of Iron Town, and personal body-guard to the Lady Eboshi."

"It's an honor to meet you then, Capt. Gonza," Alex replied respectfully and yet flatly.

Gonza frowned at the boy's lack of respect and huffed loudly through his nose. "I'm very grateful to you for bringing these to men back to our village."

The dark haired youth raised an eyebrow, "But...?"

But! the guard captain snapped. I'm curious as to how you were able to accomplish such a task. You got here almost as fast as we did, and through the forbidden forest of Shisha-Gami. That in itself is an obstacle that no human as ever been able to accomplish. You were also carrying two injured men. He gave Alex a threatening look as he stepped closer to him, "Now you tell me, Outlander. Why shouldn't I be suspicious of all this?"

Alex just stared at the man and narrowed his eye. "Look, Stone-Cold Steve Austin," he said, "I think I deserve a better thanks than this. I put my ass on the line to save these two guys, and the last thing I need is some bald, bohunk with a big mouth gritting in my face. So why don't you shut your face before I… !"

"Koroku!" a high-pitched voice called out. Both Alex and Gonza broke their attention from each other and watched as a young, beautifully featured woman barreled down slope pushing through the crowds and knocking over men standing in her path. She was dressed in a red kimono and wore her hair concealed under a turban of white cloth. "Koroku!" she called again, "You're alive!"

"Toki, my lovely little flower!" Koroku called out with a goofy looking smile on his face.

When the woman reached Koroku, she looked as though she was going to smother the ox-driver in a frenzy of hugs and kisses. However when her dark eyes found the bandages and splints tied to Koroku's leg and arm she glared at him and puffed up her chest like an anger-filled balloon. "Well that's just perfect!" she growled shoving her face towards Koroku's, "Look at you, your a mess. How are you supposed to drive oxen now with your leg and arm all broken and bandaged like that, huh? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look? Do you have any idea how ridiculous I'm going to look?" all Alex and Isaac could do at this point, was nearly face-vault to the ground as they both sweat dropped at this awkward scene.

"But my little flowe…"

"You scared me half to death, you scrawny idiot!" Toki interrupted, now more angry than she had been just moments before, "So don't think that 'little flower' compliment will get you out of this. You're a complete disgrace! Maybe if the wolves _had_ eaten you, I could've found a real husband, one who doesn't get himself into trouble every time I look the other way."

"Sweetness," Koroku whined while the other men bellowed with laughter, "Can we please talk about this later?" Everyone's listening.

Both Alex and Gonza could only stare and watch as the scene between the woman and Koroku continued to unfold. "Hey Gonza," Alex asked quietly, "Who's Miss Congeniality over there?"

The Guard Captain grunted and tilted his head towards the youth's. "Her name's Toki," he said, "and she's that unfortunate man's wife."

"His wife?" Alex glanced at the woman dressed in the red Kimono while she proceeded to chastise Koroku even more, "With the way she's going off on him, she seems more like his mother-in-law."

Gonza chuckled inwardly at the statement then looked to the young woman. "Toki," he called out with a half smile, "Why don't you do us all a favor and save your sweet nothings for some other time."

"Why don't you do us a favor, Gonza and shut that big mouth of yours!" Toki retorted and began to stomp towards the bearded man, "You're the one who left him there to die in the first place! A fine Captain of the Guards you are! You don't do a lick of work around her and hide behind Lady Eboshi whenever danger arises." She crossed her arms and shot him an icy glare, "And then when all is safe and taken care of, you crawl out into the open and strut around and bark orders like you're some kind of war hero!"

Before Gonza could even open his mouth to respond, Alex suddenly chimed in. "Excuse me, lady," he said. "Just take it easy, okay?" The woman jerked her face in his direction and stared at him, "Your husband's still alive right? He's not exactly in the best _working _condition, but he's alive, right? What're you getting so pissed off about?"

Toki continued to stare at the young outlander before smiling slyly. "And who might you be?" she asked.

"The name's Alex. I'm the guy who lugged your husband and that other all the way back here." and he pointed to Isaac who was perched on his shoulder, "And this little furry growth on my shoulder is Isaac."

"It's true, love!" Koroku called out, "He even carri…"

"Was I talking to you, Koroku?" Toki shouted, cutting the ox-driver if in mid-sentence, "No, I wasn't, so keep quiet!"

Koroku drew back and lowered his head in submission, "Yes, love."

"That's a good boy." Toki grinned with her chin held high triumphantly. She then returned her attention to the cloaked outlander and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, stranger," she said, "My husband my be the most worthless man to alive, but I'm glad he's alright and in one piece."

"You've got a very strange way of showing it, lady," Alex retorted flatly, as he smiled nervously, "For awhile I was starting to think that I made a mistake bringing him back."

Toki blinked a few times before breaking out with laughter, "You have a quick whit, stranger," she said. "… and a fast mouth to go with it. If I wasn't already married to Koroku over there, I could really fall for someone like you."

The dark-haired youth's mouth dropped open. "Uhhhh," he began, trying to keep himself from stuttering like an idiot. "Thank's......but.....I....uhhhh...ummmm....well," Had he been looking at himself in a mirror he would have been able to see that his face was beginning to turn red. Almost as red as his cloak that he had on.

"Say," Toki mused while bringing her face closer to Alex's, eyeing the unhidden features. "You have a very handsome voice, so why don't take the mask off? I bet you're very handsome." She gave him a seductive look.

'Man,' Alex thought to himself. 'what's with this woman?' He straightened his posture and shook his head. "Believe me, lady," he replied. "You really don't wanna know what's under this thing."

"In to older women, eh?" Isaac teased as he whispered, "Guess this means, considering that the Princess Mononoke's a lot older in your time span, you must be into in that way. Am I right?"

"Shut the heck up," Alex whispered to Isaac, while blushing without him knowing it.

"Gonza," A soft but authoritive voice called out. All eyes turned towards the entry gate of Iron Town where a tall, dark-haired woman was standing. She was tall and slender, dressed in a lavish red kimono that was patterned with yellow fans, and wore a dark blue cloak draped over her shoulders. Her face was thin with high cheekbones and red-painted lips. Her eyes were dark and cold while at the same time, mysterious and alluring. "Bring the outlander to me, later this evening. I would like to thank him personally. And I'm sure that the Princess would love to meet him as well." She glanced at Alex who gazed back at her with a look of bewilderment. "Toki," she added.

"Yes, Milady?"

'Milady?' Alex repeated in his head, wondering whether or not his Japanese was still as good as it had been in the past. He continued to look at the elegantly dressed, and visually stunning woman standing atop the small hill. 'Then.....is she....Lady Eboshi? '

"Make sure that he is properly taken care of. I want him fed and washed before he is brought to me."

Toki shot Alex a quick glance and grinned, "Oh, don't worry. He'll be in good hands, Milady."

Eboshi nodded then looked down at Koroku who was still being held up by his friends. "Koroku," she said gently, "It brings me much joy that you are alive and back with us. I am glad that you are safe, and I apologize. I should not have left you and the others the way I did. It was poor judgment on my part."

The ox-driver, along with almost every other person in the area, stared with amazement, "Th- thank you, Milady," he said just above a whisper.

"Uh oh. Be careful, Milady," Toki replied, "If you show him too much kindness, Koroku will take advantage of you. Believe me, I know. I've been married to the man for two years."

"I should apologize to you as well, Toki," Eboshi continued, "I should not have let this happen in the first place."

Toki shook her head and smiled, "Oh, don't blame yourself Milady. After all… " She gave Gonza a dirty look and smirked. "Had it not been for you, the wolves would've eaten the entire caravan and then we'd all have to find new husbands."

Everyone laughed at this remark. Everyone except for Alex, Isaac, and Gonza who just scowled and glared with anger.

"Get some rest, Young Outlander," said Eboshi with a smile, "I will see you later this evening." She then turned around and walked back through the entry gate from where she had appeared.

Alex pushed his hood back, revealing his face and frowned. This was definitely another one of those turning points that he had come to dread since he had been thrown into this world. He suddenly felt the eyes of someone resting on his face. When the youth looked up he found himself facing Toki who was studying him with a slightly wicked grin.

"What?" he asked.

"I was right," Toki replied, still wearing the same grin, "You're not handsome… you're gorgeous!"

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Curse of Nago, the God-Demon; the Ladies Eboshi and Yasha**


	11. The Ladies Eboshi and Yasha

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 10:The Legend of Nago, the God-Demon; the Ladies Eboshi and Yasha**

* * *

**Iron Town**

**Bath House**

* * *

The instant Alex's bare skin touched the heated water of the bath, he let out a loud sigh of relief and let his entire body sink below the steaming liquid. Words couldn't begin to describe how great it felt to finally be able to wash the grime, dirt and old sweat that had built up on his body. And because it had been so long since he had enjoyed a hot bath like this, the pleasure seemed even more satisfying.

As the tired outlander leaned back against the edge of the round bath, he closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet smell of the burning incense that permeated the air in the bathing house. He felt thankful that the foul smell of Iron Town's industrial workings were nonexistent within these walls, for he knew that breathing any more of the rancid air would make him sick.

With another loud sigh, Alex stretched out his legs and submerged his whole head, held it there for a few seconds, then whipped it out. 'Oh man, this feels good!' he thought to himself, wiping some of the water from his reddening face.

This was probably the first time in the past few weeks that Alex had felt this comfortable. As a matter of fact, it was the first time he had felt comfortable at all. Everything he had done up to this point involved a tiring act of physical exertion; walking mile after mile every day no matter the conditions, running from Demon-Gods and samurai, it just didn't stop.

But now for the first time, Alex could enjoy that one little activity that he had always enjoyed back home. Sitting around on his butt for hours on end, and not even caring about what was going on around him.

However, one thing was still bothering him tremendously.

He was now in the very heart of the place he had been seeking out since the beginning of his journey, and yet he wasn't doing anything to take advantage of it. He hadn't asked any questions, or poked around to see what he could learn. He had done absolutely nothing. It bothered him even more that he was accepting both aid, shelter and comfort from those whom had literally condemned him to an early death. A part of him wanted to reach out and strangle each and every person that came within his sight, especially Lady Eboshi herself. But deep down inside, the dark haired youth knew that this would only make matters more difficult, not to mention that he would probably end up hating himself if he ever did such a thing.

Shaking his head, the young outlander pushed the thoughts away and splashed some more water onto his face. It was then that he began to once again take notice of the demon band on his wrist, and for the first time since yesterday, could remember seeing just how far the curse had gotten stronger over the past few days. The first time it awoke, it just let out the black ooze and just covered his forearm and hand, with the golden band creating a vein-designed armor to hold it at bay. But by yesterday, the ooze had gotten far enough to encompass his chest and nearly blacken his right eye. Not to mention the armor had switched from being vein-shaped, to a full fleshed armor that nearly encompassed the appearance of the black ooze, and seemed to be taking attributes that resembles boar features, like its tusks.

He sighed to himself as his mind became troubled once again, 'Who knows how far the ooze and armor are going to spread. And when that happens… '

Just then, the small, furry shape of Isaac scrambled through the half-open window and leapt onto the stone floor. The little fox sniffed once then walked over to the edge of the bath and lay across from Alex. He gave the young human a tranquil look, "Having fun yet?" he rested his head on the sack and his forepaws as he wagged his tail like a cat would, "I know I've been having a blast at eating that smoked meat you left in the bag."

"So, the furry bottomless pit makes his return," an amused Alex said, "I can just imagine what kind of trouble you've been stirring up."

The fox raised his ears and narrowed his eyes, "Me? Cause trouble? Oh, Alex. I would have thought you'd know me better than that now." 

"Hey, now don't you look at me that way," Alex smirked as he leaned on the bath tub rail, "You're half-fox, so that makes you a born trouble maker, so don't try to deny it!"

As soon as Alex had set foot within the inner walls of Iron-Town, Isaac suddenly sprung out from his supply sack and just scampered off. It was now a whole hour since the fox had disappeared. His ears perked up as he looked to Alex, "I think we've got trouble ahead of us."

Suddenly, the shoji to the bathing house slid open and in walked a five women dressed in plain colored kimonos. Some were thin and slender, while others were stout and plumpish. Each one was holding an assortment of towels, ceramic flasks, bushes and washcloths.

As the five women made there way towards the bath, Alex found himself staring wide eyes with an open mouth, "Uhhhh, excuse me?" he asked trying to cover himself. His face was now turning beat-red. The women just smiled sweetly… and very nervously, "I-I-I-I think you've got the wrong house."

"Oh no we don't, young sir," said a familiar voice. The group of women stepped aside to reveal a slyly grinning Toki, with her hair let out and revealed it to go down her back, "These five women and myself are going to clean you up."

Alex just continued to stare, and seemed to pale a bit, "Say what?"

"We were instructed by Lady Eboshi to make sure that you're cleaned and well fed before you meet with her," Toki retorted stepping closer to the bath, "And in Iron Town, an instruction from Lady Eboshi just can't be ignored."

"Look, Miss, I appreciate that and all, but…" he was beginning to stammer again, "But that really isn't necessary."

"First of all," said Toki, "My name is Toki; you don't have to be so formal all the time. Second of all, this isn't simply a matter of following instructions from our Mistress," She crossed her arms and tilted her chin upward, "You're an honored guest of this town, and the one who saved my husband's life. Wouldn't you say that this qualifies you for some special treatment?"

"I guess," Alex answered slowly, "But I…"

"So what's the problem? You've been bathed before, haven't you?" The young outlander was silent, "You haven't? Not even once?" Toki then shot the five other women an evil smile, "Well, this certainly makes things a lot more interesting," she said, "Imagine our surprise: A young man as good looking as him, not once in his life being bathed by a woman, not even once."

Alex chuckled a little, sinking farther away from Toki as he explained, "Well, yeah… but, I mean… well, my people… uh,… we prefer to bathe ourselves…"

She then turned her attention back to Alex, "What do you girls say we show him what he's been missing?" The women all nodded and began to laugh.

"Ahhh-heh-heh," Alex laughed nervously, "Look, I really don't think that this…!" Before he could finish, one of the women grabbed him by the head and pushed him under the water. After a few seconds of kicking, waving and gurgling, he was finally pulled back up. He gasped a deep breath as he spoke out, "What the heck are you do…?" But as soon as his head was out of the water, three pairs of shampoo covered hands began to roughly scrub his hair, "NGAH! OW-OW-OOOOW!" he screamed as he splashed around in a desperate attempt to escape., "HEY, WATCH IT, THERE! THAT HURTS! COME ON, STOP IT! OOOOW!

"Oh, quit whining, you big baby!" Toki scolded him as she proceeded to scrub the sweet smelling hair oils into the youth's scalp, "Most men would sell their left ear for this kind of service."

At that very moment the last three women began to scrub him thoroughly over his neck, shoulders, back and chest with damp cloths. The embarrassed teenager tried his best to cover himself while at the same time struggling to escape the assault. But Toki and the other women paid absolutely no attention to the youth's cries and screams. They didn't even seem to mind the wrist chain that was on his wrist. It was either because they were to preoccupied with their current task, or they just didn't care.

All the while, Isaac sat silently and watched as the extremely bizarre scene unfolded in front of him. There was a very amused look on his face, 'This is just too much for this old fox-squirrel,' the little fox-squirrel thought to himself. For the sight of his human companion being assaulted by a group of women, screaming and squirming like a little infant, was probably the one of the strangest and hilarious things the fox-squirrel had witnessed.

'The people in his time must really be prudish to these sort of things,' he chuckled to himself, 'It's quite entertaining for this old spirit to see this rarity in comedy.' Because this was the case, Isaac decided that it would be best to just remain silent and enjoy the show while it lasted.

* * *

**At That Moment**

**Lady Eboshi's Home**

Sitting at the window of her private chambers , Lady Eboshi couldn't help but laugh as she listened to the young outlander wail and scream. If there was one thing in this world that the young woman always seemed to relish, it was listening to a man beg a woman for mercy, which was a true rarity these days. She picked up the tiny ceramic cup of tea that had been resting on the table beside her and sipped quietly. Sitting with her, was the Princess Yashahime, who seemed to coo and blush as she heard Alex's pleads and screaming. In some strange manner, it seemed to actually give her a mental pleasure in hearing this.

"Milady," Gonza continued while he stood stiffly at attention, trying to keep his patience, "I really must insist that we…"

"That we what, Gonza?" Eboshi interrupted, "That we drive him out of Iron-Town? Maybe we should just kill him while we're at it."

"That won't do!" Yashahime announced, and then blushed as she covered half of her face with her hand, "I only spotted this outlander in one of the iron trading spots. I thought I would never see him again." and then she blushed and squealed, "And now I finally am reunited with my true love outlander! It's just like a romance novel!"

Gonza was the only one to sweat drop at this, but cleared himself up as he got back to the matter at hand. "He's an outlander, Milady," the bearded man replied, "I don't trust him. You shouldn't either."

"And why is that, Gonza?" Eboshi asked shooting the guard captain an icy look. "Because of the clothing he wears? Because he travels in the company of a fox-squirrel?" She then began to smirk, "Or could it be because of his darkened skin? I never once thought of you as being prejudice, Gonza, but now I can't say that I'm sure anymore."

"I think his skin makes him mysterious," Yashahime sighed with ecstasy, "It just adds to make him very attractive."

Gonza shook his head, "Please Milady, you misjudge my reasoning. My mistrust of the boy comes not from his physical appearance, but by the way he acts. The way he moves. The way he talks. He's so…"

Suddenly a high-pitched wail blared through the air outside the window. "AAAAAAAAAAAH!!! STOP!!! NO TOUCHING, NO TOUCHIE THERE!!! HEY, HEY, HEY WATCH WERE YOU'RE PUTTING THOSE HANDS!!

The two sat silently for a moment before Gonza continued, "The boy is so odd. He uses terms and phrases that make absolutely no sense. And what about the fox-squirrel he trav…"

"You've made your point perfectly clear, Gonza," Eboshi interrupted once again, "You make an interesting point, the boy is odd. But did you ever stop to think about how useful he could be to us."

"Useful, Milady?"

"Yes," Eboshi began to explain, "Who knows what kinds of secrets and knowledge he possesses. Remember, Gonza, our guns are outlander technology. And had it not been for those pieces of outlander technology, we would not be where we are right now."

"That…" Yashahime added with a sneaky agenda on her sleeve, "… and I sense a particular aura around him. Either way he might prove useful."

"I understand, Milady, Princess, and I apologize for questioning you in this matter." The lowered himself to his knees and bowed until his face touched the bamboo woven mat on the floor, "Please forgive me, Miladies."

Eboshi laughed quietly, but Yashahime only smirked at this scene as well, but kept silent. Hearing a man beg a woman for mercy was always entertaining in both of their eyes, but watching a high ranking warrior bow down to a woman while begging her for forgiveness was ten times more satisfying. It was times like this that Eboshi truly relished the fact that in this compound, she alone stood above every man, even the mighty captain of the guards in the status quo.

Yashahime also smirked at this as well. Despite her cursed nature, she had become more beautiful than anything when her hair and skin went as pale as a ghost. Her mysterious beauty had captured the hearts of thousands of warriors, and with that she relished on it was easy to recruit samurai and bandits into her wing like that. If she could, she would use those charms and power to take over Iron Town, but that wasn't what she wanted. Like Eboshi, she was after something else entirely.

Eboshi then whipped out a fan and held it over her mouth to hide her grin, "There is no need for that, Gonza," she said half-heartedly. "I will always welcome your opinions and sentiments regarding matters such as this one." She began to fan herself, "But please, all I ask is that you try to keep an open mind when forming those opinions and sentiments."

"Yes, Milady," the guard captain replied, bowing once more.

"Now then," Eboshi looked away from the man and down at the rows of houses and the crowds of people below. "As soon as our young guest is finished being cleaned and properly fed, I want you to bring him to me at once." She sighed, "And please, Gonza, try to be a little more diplomatic than you were when he first arrived."

Gonza frowned and growled slightly, "I shall try, Milady."

After Gonza had left, Yashahime smirked as she took a sip of her tea, "I think the outlander's arrival will bring about something new to all this."

"Are you just saying that because he's a handsome fellow, Yasha," Eboshi quizzed, "… or is there something about him that you know that we don't."

Yashahime just flashed Eboshi a sneaky and vindictive smile as she answered, "I guess we'll both find out later on."

* * *

**Later On**

**At the Men's Lounge**

* * *

Alex continued to scowl and grumble under his breath as he sat on the floor of a large stable amongst a group of wildly laughing men, who were stuffing their faces full of rice, and drinking cup after cup of hot sake. Never in his life had the young boy felt so humiliated, nor had he felt so.......violated. He didn't even look at the food he had been served.

Ever since he had left the bath house, along with Toki and her group of friends, Alex had felt as though he had been passed through a meat tenderizer, a marinator, and washing machine all at once. Though the whole ordeal had only lasted for a matter of minutes, it seemed to Alex like it had lasted for hours. Hours of being scrubbed, batted around, pushed under water, and having his hair raked by thirty fingers at the same time.

He shuttered and tried to concentrate on his food. 'They could have at least given me clothes back,' he thought bitterly brushing a finger against the left sleeve of the dark blue kimono he had been given. The only part of his original attire he still had was his red and wolf furred cloak which was now folded at his side.

"You mean him? someone called out from outside the stables.

"Well who else do you think I'm talking about? another retorted.

"Toki was right, he is pretty handsome!"

When Alex turned around he saw that Toki's friends from the bath house, and seven more women whom he had never before seen, were crowded around the open doorway, looking in his direction. They were all talking and whispering to each other, and then laughing uncontrollably.

"He's kind of young, don't you think?" a rather plumpish woman, who looked to be in her late twenties said nudging the younger woman next to her, "Why, he looks no older than a child.

"So what, that's never stopped you from having a little fun in the past."

To this the women, along with several of the men laughed. Alex shuttered again as he tried to swallow a mouthful of sticky rice.

"Say there, stranger," one of the women called out, "Why don't you come over to our place later tonight. I'm sure you'd find it a lot more comfortable than lying around this manure filled barn with a bunch of fat, smelly men."

Shizo, the man who had been sitting next to Alex suddenly scowled and lifted his gaze to meet the women's. "I think you should watch your mouth, woman!" he said angrily, "A lot of good men gave up there lives to bring the rice that _your _eating! It's because of these 'fat, smelly' men that you're not going sleep hungry tonight."

The young woman simply scoffed at Shizo's remark, "And what about the iron you used to trade for the rice, huh? Who do you think makes that iron? We do of course!"

"Yeah, while you fat pigs are stuffing your faces and lying around on your backsides, us women are pumping the bellows that smelt your precious iron."

As the arguing continued, Alex brought a wooden bowl of gruel to his mouth and drank silently. 'Man,' he thought to himself. 'Does everyone in this town go out of their way to out to out-smart-mouth each other?' He looked down at Isaac who was nestled between his crossed legs, 'I can just imagine how stupid us humans must look to you.' He then began to scratch the spot behind the fox-squirrel's left ear, causing him to growl with pleasure.

Shizo smirked, "Maybe you girls would like to trade jobs next time around. We men can pump the bellows, and you women can take the iron into the towns to trade for rice. All the while, you'll have to avoid being robbed by thieves and slaughtered by the wolves."

"And leave the iron-works in the hands of you idiots? That'd probably be just as bad as just letting the Princess Mononoke and her wolves destroy the whole place themselves."

"Umm, excuse me?" Alex began.

When both Shizo and the young woman whom he was arguing with heard the young outlander speak, they immediately became silent and looked in his direction.

"Yeah," Alex continued, "If it's not too much of a hassle, I was wondering if…" He hesitated for a moment, sensing and fearing what response he might receive. "… would it be at all possible to see this iron-works of yours? I'd like to see how the whole process is done." When he saw the faces of the women light up, he grimaced, 'Oh God, here it comes…'

"Wow! Do you really mean it?" one woman asked, blushing slightly.

"I guess that means we should where our good kimonos, then."

"Forget kimonos, this calls for makeup!"

They all broke into a fit of girlish laughter and began to depart. "Now don't you forget now."

"We'll be waiting for you, Alex!" a few of the younger women called out as they waved excitedly at the young outlander.

Alex forced a smile and waved back at the flirtatious women. 'If my life could get anymore awkward, I think I'll just shoot myself here and now.' He then sighed and slouched forward, returning his full attention to the food laid out in front of him.

"It's best to just pay them no mind, young sir," said Shizo, gulping down a cup full of sake. "Or else they'll keep on yammering until your ears bleed."

"Eh," Alex replied with a shrug. "It's not that big of deal. A little awkward, yes, but it's not like they're... actually I think I'll just leave it at awkward." He then proceeded to eat his rice,_ 'Man, this stuff tastes horrible!'_

"Be as it may, it's still embarrassing," said Shizo, "They act that way because lady Eboshi let's them. She literally spoils those girls rotten!"

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad," Alex replied, "My mom always said that 'happy women make a happy home'."

"Can't be that bad?" a bearded man laughed, "Having those kind of women working in an iron works? How can you honestly sit there and say that it can't be that bad?

"Women like that defile the iron when they touch it!" Another man chimed in after biting off a huge chunk of smoked fish. "I'm starting to wonder if that's the real reason we can't get more money and rice for the iron we trade with."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "That bad, huh?"

"It's been that way ever since Lady Eboshi showed up," the man continued, "But I guess I can't really complain, seeing as how the woman did pull us all out of the rut we were in."

"How's that?"

"When we first started to mine here, this place was nothing more than a piss-hole camp of about thirty of us. Then one day Lady Eboshi showed up. She said that if we pledged our allegiance to her, she would turn our pin sized mining camp into a thriving iron works. It's because of her that we're able to eat like this every night."

Alex popped a small cube of tofu into his mouth and swallowed. "Sounds like she's quite a lady," he said.

"You have no idea," Shizo replied. "There's almost nothing that the woman can't accomplish. She's not even afraid of the Forest Gods, or their Kings."

"Yeah. Why you should've seen the way she dealt with Nago a while back!" said another man in a brown tunic with a balding head. As he talked bits of chewed up rice flew out of his near toothless mouth.

Suddenly, Isaac, in Alex's lap, jerked his head upwards and looked at the man. Alex saw this and knew instantly that something was wrong. The fox-squirrel then looked straight at him, eyes burning with agitation. "Just out of curiosity," the young teen boy asked, "… who exactly is this Nago?"

"Who's Nago? You mean you don't know?"

At this point, Alex's look darkened as he was serious on this, "Why don't you enlighten me," he said flatly.

"He was the giant Boar-God that used to rule this entire forest," the man continued.

Shizo then began to speak again, "After we had dug up all the ore from the sand along the banks, we had to start mining the around mountain to find more."

The man with the balding head then added, "Of course being the selfish pig that he was, Nago wasn't going to let us get away with that." He then stopped abruptly to fill his wide mouth with another serving of rice. For nearly three whole months we couldn't do anything except sit around on our rumps with a bunch of angry boars staring down at us."

"Why's that?" Alex asked, not sure if he was gonna like the answer.

"You see, young sir," Shizo continued, "The problem was that in order to get to the ore in the mountain, we had to clear away the forest." He frowned, "And that's what made Nago angry. I still remember all those times when that giant monster would charge at us with whole armies of boars, crushing everything and everyone that was in their path. To make matters worse, nothing could hurt him, not even fire-arrows! His strength and ferocity was known throughout stories at that time; he was practically a force of nature."

Then the barely-toothed mouthed slob of a man that had mentioned Nago chuckled in a drunken stupor, "That was until Lady Eboshi showed up. When we agreed to accept her as our Mistress, she came back with her rifle men and muskets. It only took them three days to kill those squealing pigs, every last one of them, down to their smallest runt. With those muskets of hers she was even able to drive off Nago!" He then stood and began to reenact the story with a few other men, with him as one of the riflemen, and the others as the boars. As they played out their roles they danced about the stables in a drunken frenzy.

Alex suddenly felt his right hand beginning to throb as well as his forearm. He clenched his teeth and stood up, Isaac at his feet. "Excuse me," he said and began to make his way towards the doorway.

"Is something wrong, young sir?" Shizo asked with a look of concern on his roundish face. He then noticed the fatigue in the young outlander's movements and the way he was clutching his arm, "Are you in pain?

Alex was silent for a moment before answering, "No," he said calmly, "I'm just starting to feel a little bit nauseous." He then looked over his shoulder and glanced at the group of men who were staring at him with questioning faces. "Thanks for the food," he added before walking out of the stable, "And for the story."

* * *

**Outside **

* * *

As the young outlander quickly stumbled out of the stables he could feel his body heat rise and the sweat rolling down his face. He leaned against wooden fence post and breathed heavily while at the same time trying to fight the pain building up in his arm.

'It was her,' he thought to himself, scowling with fury. He then pulled back the right sleeve of his kimono and looked at the black ooze that started to slither out of the band, and encompass his arm. Next, as to come, the gold band branched out, but this time, instead of thin tentacles, it became tentacles with thick pieces of armor that began to attach to his arm. This was something similar as a combination of the Marvel Symbiotes and of the Guyver series. The black ooze now began to throb all over his arm, as he grit his teeth, but not in pain… but in furious rage, 'She's the one who did this to me!'

Without thinking about what he was doing, Alex clenched his black oozed covered and armored fingers around the post and squeezed. The wood gave off a shudder before it was crushed it into tiny splinters.

'Come on Alex, don't loose it now!' The youth ordered himself, 'Don't let this parasitic thing win!' Don't let it take control again!' As the words coursed through his head the pain gradually diminished until there was none left at all. With a relieved sigh, Alex sank to the ground and sat with his back against the wall of a house, as the ooze melted once again and the armor retracted back into the bracelet.

In an attempt to comfort his companion, Isaac gently brushed against the young human's arm. "C'mon, Alex," Isaac encouraged the boy, "The curse may have strength, but you have the will to fight it."

"Thanks for the words of wisdom," Alex stroked the small animal's fur affectionately. 'What the hell am I supposed to do now?' he thought.

"You there! Outlander!" Someone called out to him.

Ale looked up to see the guard captain, Gonza approaching him. The burly man's bearded face was twisted into a tight-lipped glower and his eyes glared with authority. Alex shook his head a groaned quietly, 'Now what?'Gonza stopped a few steps away from Alex and snuffed, "Milady Eboshi and Princess Yashahime wishes to meet with you now," he said. "I've been ordered to bring you to her at once."

"Some other time, Captain," Alex replied, "I'm not really in the mood." He then stood up and walked passed Gonza, Tell her that I'll meet with her tomor…"

Gonza's hand shot out and clamped down of the dark haired youth's shoulder, "Milady wishes to meet with you _now, _boy," he growled.

Alex glared at the older man, narrowing his eyes. He then looked down at Isaac who gave him another one of those 'looks'. "Fine," he said, "Just lead the way."

With a triumphant smirk, Gonza led the young outlander through the congested Iron town complex. They stopped as soon as they came to a lavish two story house, illuminated by the orange glow of burning torches. Next to the large pyramid shaped building, which Alex had learned was the actual iron-works, this house was probably Iron Town's largest structure.

Alex whistled with astonishment, "I'm guessing that this is Lady Eboshi's place, right?" he asked.

Gonza grunted, "You guess correctly, Outlander." He then gave Alex a quick shove forward. "And she and Princess Yashahime are waiting for you inside."

They approached the house's main gate which was guarded by two of the cheesy looking ninja that Alex saw flanking Gonza when he had first arrived. The two men looked straight at Alex, their narrowed eyes glinting and their hands clutching the hilts of their swords. When they saw Gonza step in front of the young outlander they immediately relaxed and bowed.

"Good evening, honored captain," The one on the left said, his words slightly muffled by the black mask covering his face.

The other guard added, "We were not expecting your return to be so soon."

Alex shook his head. 'Did I hear somebody say, 'Brown-Nosers'?' He chuckled, 'Nah, there guys would probably fit better under the brown-noser category.'

"The Lady Eboshi is waiting in her chambers," the first guard said, "Is the outlander armed, sir?"

"No, the girls took his sword along with the rest of his supplies and clothing," Gonza answered. "I think it's safe to assume that he's not dangerous." He then turned around and gestured for the dark-haired youth to follow.

Before Alex reached the gate, the guards shot their arms out in front of him, blocking his path. "Is there a problem gentlemen?" he asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Animals are forbidden beyond this point," one of the guards retorted coldly as one of them pointed to Isaac. "Have your people no sense of cleanliness?"

"Some," Alex said, equally cold. "But I guess none that would live up to your standards though." He lowered himself to one knee and patted Isaac on the head. "Sorry, Isaac, but you're gonna have to wait this one out. Think you can keep yourself occupied for the time being?"

The fox-squirrel yipped then scurried off into the crowds of villagers.

Gonza and the two guards could only stare at what had just transpired before them. There was only one other human they knew of who could talk to an animal like that and receive the desired results, and that was the Princess Mononoke. The similarity between Alex and the wolf-girl caused Gonza's doubt and suspicion to rise. 'Just what are you really after, Outlander?' he asked in his mind. 'Are you really all you claim to be? Or is there something that you're hiding?' He ground his teeth and grunted. "If you don't mind, Outlander," he growled. "I would like to keep My Lady or the Princess from waiting any longer than she needs to."

Alex nodded then proceeded towards the gate, which was now open. As Gonza followed him, he stepped closer to the guards and whispered. "Don't let your guard down for even a second," he said, "I don't trust this outlander for boar shit."

"Yes, sir," the both replied quickly, bowing once again. When the guard captain was through the gate, they closed it behind him.

* * *

**Inside Eboshi's Home**

* * *

The sound of clanging metal filled the fire-lit chamber as Lady Eboshi tapped a small slab of forged iron with a tiny hammer. All the while Alex stood stiffly, his dark eyes fixed on the young woman who seemed completely oblivious to his presence. The more he looked at her the more his hatred for her seemed to increase. It was taking all of his self control to keep himself from reaching out and strangling her slender neck. The continuous clanging of the hammer against the slab of iron didn't help at all.

However, something else caught his attention. The girl in white, Princess Yashahime, as he had come to known, was staring at him while sipping a coup of tea. For some odd reason, she had been looking at him ever since he entered the room. From the way she was looking at him, she was like a fan girl, blushing constantly whenever he was around. This kind of freaked him out; even more then when Toki and the girls were scrubbing him.

"Forgive me if I've kept you waiting, stranger," she finally said. "I become so engrossed in these inspections that I sometimes lose myself." She gave the slab one last tap, "This batch is good," she said before handing it to a woman who was holding a small basket filled with more of the iron slabs. "Tell the ox-drivers that we'll be shipping these to the villages along the western boarder, tomorrow morning. They're free to rest until then."

"Yes Milady," the woman said. She then hoisted the basket onto her shoulder and quickly made her way out of the chamber.

"I've been listening to some of the workers talk," Eboshi said while jotting something down on a thinly cut wood tile with a sumi-brush. "They think that you might be a spy sent by Osano. Of course, then I would have to suspect that the princess here would have betrayed me by then," She laughed quietly, "… and some even believe that you're in league with the Princess Mononoke."

Alex remained silent. He glanced over at Gonza who was standing attentively beside his Mistress. The Guard Captain just glared back.

"There are many individuals who have had their eyes on this land and its iron for a long time now," Eboshi began to explain, "… and almost every one of those individuals still resents the fact that I was able to beat them to it, but that's typical among these arrogant daimyos."

The young outlander snuffed. 'You're a fine one to talk about being arrogant!'

"Now then," Eboshi continued, setting the wood tiles aside, "Because I can tell just by looking at you that you're not a spy, I would very much like to know why you _are_ here." She gave him clever looking smirk, "That is, if you don't mind my asking."

"Yes, I'm dying to know as well," Princess Yashahime asked, "We're all eager to hear your reasons for being here in the middle of a magnificent war between man and the Forest Gods."

"Why don't I show you," Alex retorted. He then bent his arm upward, causing the loose sleeves of his kimono to fall, revealing the cursed band wrist chain he had on his arm.

Gonza stared at the maroon blotches on the youth's skin with a look of curiosity. The Lady Eboshi however remained completely serene. It was as though she didn't even see the marks. Yashahime, on the other hand, looked at Alex and the band, almost as if she was seeing a kindred spirit in him.

"Do you like it, Eboshi?" Alex asked. "I think you should, after all…" His eyes narrowed as the expression on his face darkened, "You're the reason I have it; it's the only thing keeping me alive at this point."

The young woman laughed, her smirk intensifying, "I haven't the slightest idea as to what you're talking about, stranger," she said, "This is only the second time I've even laid eyes on you. How can you accuse me of…" She trailed off when Alex reached into his kimono and produced a jagged ball of iron.

"I think you've seen this before, haven't you," he said. "It's the bullet you used to kill the giant Boar-God, Nago. It shattered his ribs, incinerated his organs, and rotted his flesh until he was no longer a God, but a disgusting Demon, fueled only by the rage and hate you cursed him with when you shot him. I had the bad luck of running into him. We fought, and because of that, he cursed me; this gold band was created from holy metals and the crystallized remains of Nago's flesh and blood, making a band that sucked up the curse. It's still there, though, and it's getting stronger every day. It's been spreading through my body ever since that day. Soon the curse will stop spreading, kill me and turn me into a half-demon altogether." He gave the woman to coldest look he could conjure up. "Do you understand now?"

Eboshi chuckled, "That's a very tragic story, stranger," she said coolly. "Very tragic, indeed." She picked up a small cup tea and sipped it. "But there is one thing that I just can't seem to help myself from asking." After taking one more sip of the tea she returned it to the small table beside her, "Just were exactly is it that you're from? I've never seen clothing like yours before. And if you'll forgive me for saying so, I've never seen skin of your color either."

"I can't say where I'm from," Alex answered, "And even if I could, you'd probably think I was a nut-case or something. All I can say is that I've come from a very long way."

"You insolent little worm!" Gonza shouted, clutching the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe the blade. "Either you answer Milady's question, or I'll cut you in half!"

"Hey, take it easy," Alex retorted, "You don't have to get offended all time. That and you don't have to always pull your sword out or get offensive just to show how tough you are."

This only seemed to anger Gonza as he was about to unsheathe his sword, "Why you miserable, insolent…!"

Eboshi slammed her hand down on the wooden floor. "That's enough!" she shouted. The two remained silent, until Eboshi had once again regained her calm demeanor, "Good. Now that's settled, I have one more question to ask of you…" She leaned forward, "Just why _did_ you journey here? What did you hope to accomplish?" Her red-painted lips cured upward, "Have you come seeking revenge? Or perhaps even my life?"

Alex crossed his arms and leaned against one of the wooden columns that held the roof up. "To tell you the truth," he said casually, "I really don't know myself; this was really just a detour. But if it's an actual reason you're looking for, the only one I can give you is this..... I've journeyed here… to see with eyes unclouded by anger and hatred."

"Eyes unclouded?" Eboshi repeated. She then broke into childish laughter. The woman's cackling laugh was enough to freeze Alex's blood. "Now I understand perfectly," with a loud exhale she pushed herself onto her feet and walked towards the young outlander. "Come with me, stranger. I'm going to show you my secrets so that you me see them with your 'unclouded' eyes."

"Groovy," Alex replied flatly and proceeded to follow the Iron Town Mistress.

"Milady!" Gonza called out to her, "Are you absolutely sure that's wise?"

Eboshi moved to a elegantly crafted cabinet and pulled out a large ceramic flask, "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't, Gonza," She replied not looking back. She then looked to Yashahime as she asked, "You wish to come along, Princess?"

"No thank you," Yashahime smirked, "I need my rest for the soon to be battle ahead," she then looked to Alex as she winked at him, "See you soon… Alex…"

Just seeing the girl do that, made his skin crawl, 'Boy, she may be beautiful, but she's creepy.'

* * *

**Later On**

**Outside**

* * *

Alex followed close behind Lady Eboshi as she led him through the inner workings of Iron town that still were buzzing with human activity despite the hour. Men tending to the oxen, women carrying heavy boundless of laundry or straw baskets and even loads of iron over their shoulders. But the work that seamed to dominate over all was the hammering of the freshly smelted iron. Every where Alex looked he saw groups of people huddled around chunks of the hot metal, slamming them with hammers, and flattening them into the small slabs that Eboshi had been inspecting earlier.

It was strange seeing women working in hard labor like this, Alex had thought to himself. Though he wasn't an expert in history, he did know that much about ancient Japanese culture, he did know that the only place where one would find women working was either in a kitchen, a tea house, rice fields or in a brothel.

It was then that Alex remembered the smell of the iron works and held his hand against his face to block the foul air.

"I just realized something," Eboshi said, glancing over her shoulder, "You still haven't told me your name."

"It's Alex, Alex Killian. Alex is short for Alexander, in case you're wondering."

"Alexander… ," Eboshi studied the name for a moment before continuing. "It has a very foreign sound to it. Like the Roman conqueror?"

"I guess you could say that," Alex answered.

The continued to walk through paths between the buildings until they came to a opening in the huge wall that surrounded Iron Town. When Alex saw Eboshi walking through, he shrugged and followed her.

When he stepped through the opening on the other side, he found himself looking at another open space surrounded by a log-wall that was adjoined to the man wall. The space itself consisted of a fairly good-sized garden of various vegetables, herbs, and exotic followers. The smell of the iron works was amazingly faint here, making it easier to breathe. His attention was suddenly pulled away from the scenery when he heard something move just a few steps to his left.

When his eyes followed the sound, he found a figure slouched over on the ground. The figure was completely covered in bandages making it impossible to determine whether it was a man or a woman. It then lifted its head and looked up at Alex with its one eye. Its arms were wrapped around a long staff-musket with iron bottle muzzle attached at the tip.

"Uhhhh....hi there," Alex stammered. The bandaged figure just nodded.

"I'm afraid that she no longer has the ability to speak," Eboshi said. "The poor girl has lost so much flesh in her mouth and throat that her voice can longer he heard by our ears."

The young outlander stared at her for a moment before returning his eyes to the bandaged girl on the ground. There was a grieved frown on his face. He then looked back at Eboshi, "Just what exactly is this place?"

"My Garden," Eboshi answered, "It's the one in this compound where I can just forget about everything and enjoy a few moments of peace." She gave the youth a cold smile, "None of the townspeople dare to set foot in it. It's probably best if they don't, if Yashahime found out about it, she would burn it to the ground."

"Why's that?" Alex asked.

"She hates the forest," Eboshi answered, "Anything that resembles it, she goes into a raged frenzy and destroys everything that grows."

"She walked towards the small building that stood squashed up against the wall at the other side of the garden. When she reached the doorway she looked back at Nathan who had not moved an inch, "Come inside, if you wish to learn my secrets."

'Why do I have a really bad feeling about this?' Alex asked himself as he moved away from the entrance and followed Lady Eboshi into the small building. Once again, upon stepping through the entrance he found himself in yet another strange surrounding. Everywhere he looked he say more of the bandaged people, working and toiling way with different tools. Some sat on straw cushions, carving chunks of wood with chisels, while others worked with small pieces of metal, bending and hammering them into odd shapes.

"We've finally finished the first three, Milady," Someone said.

Alex turned to see Lady Eboshi standing before a small group of the mummy-like people. In her hands, to Alex's shock and horror, it was what looked like a primitive version of a match-lock rifle.

"I see that I was wise in leaving you all in charge of this task," Eboshi said while examining the weapon, "The design is perfect, but still a bit too heavy."

"Perhaps it wouldn't seem that heavy, if you didn't handle it so delicately, Milady," a woman teased, laughing gently.

"Milady," a man who was hammering out a strip of metal added. "If we make them anymore lighter, they fall apart the first time you fire them."

Eboshi laughed lightly, "I'm sure that you'll be able to solve that problem. You've been able solve all the other ones up to this point." She brought the rifle to her shoulder and took aim, "And besides, these new rifles aren't just for me." She then pressed her thumb down on a small trigger, which caused the rifle's hammer to spring forward. "They're for the other women. I want them to be able to use these new rifles as well as I can."

The man laughed, "That certainly will be interesting to watch."

Eboshi looked back at as she still held the rifle on he shoulder, "This is the latest rifle I've asked these people to design," she explained to the young teen boy, "The ones we brought back from China were far too heavy for most of the towns people to handle. These new rifles will kill the largest Forest-Gods and pierce the thickest samurai armor. There would not be a force in all of Japan that could stand against us in battle."

"You'd best watch out young man," chimed one of the carpenters. "The lady Eboshi wishes to rule the world one of these days." The whole room became filled with laughter.

Eboshi laughed as well, "I'm sorry that I've been pushing you all so hard like this for these past few days." She picked up the ceramic bottle she had been carrying and set it down on one of the carpentry tables. "I wanted to give you all something in return for hard work, so I brought this sake back from our last trade expedition."

"Oh Milady, you do us far too much honor than we deserve!" beamed the woman.

"First you stole Nago's lands from him and turned him into a demon. And now that you've got everything you want, you're making new weapons that are ten times deadlier than the ones you already have," The laughter suddenly died and all became silent. All eyes were on the young outlander, "Why did you bring me here, Eboshi?" Alex asked angrily, "Was it to give the knife you've already stabbed me with another twist? Is that why you showed me all this?"

The young woman's eyes narrowed, "Yes, I did kill the Boar-God," she said, "I admit that I am the one who fired the shot, and I'm sorry that you suffer because it, Alex, I truly am." She shook her head lightly, "That brainless monster. I should have been to one to receive that curse, not you."

"He wasn't brainless… he was in pain… and afraid that he would let Shisha Gami down…," Alex snapped viciously. The burning was once again rising all over him and he could sense the gem on his wrist chain begin to glow bright once again, "Your sympathy doesn't mean a thing to me, Eboshi! Do you hear me?" He could no longer hold control over his rising anger, "NOT A THING!!!"

Suddenly, his whole right arm was encompassed in the black ooze film, and followed it was the gold band's metal encompassing it. After it had finally hardened, the armor was complete, showing that Alex's right arm was encased in a skin tight golden yellow armor. His shoulder was in a spherical shoulder guard. His bicep was covered in a golden yellow armor as well, but the line detailing his muscle was showing to be the black ooze. His forearm was three times bigger than ever, with two tusk blades stuck out from where the elbow was. His right hand was also armored in detail, almost looking cybernetic' the inside and the palm were both covered in the black ooze film armor, and the gem had fused into the right wrist, changing from red to a glowing topaz color. Connecting his shoulder to the chest, a horn shot up that was only one foot up. The right half of his chest was covered in the black ooze film; it was skin tight that it showed his muscles underneath, making it seem that he had no shirt on. It went from his neck as well, and also had armor on him that covered half of his right chest and back, making it look like he had a skin-tight vest on, and around his neck was a golden neck guard of sorts. The same glyph marks appeared under his eyes, and his right eye again, showed it had gone black, and the pupil gone golden yellow… like Nago's. It was clear, that the curse had gotten stronger, but only showed half of it now, due to Alex's anger boiling inside of him.

Suddenly, without him knowing it, his right arm lunged right at Eboshi's face. Luckily, Alex grabbed it with his free normal hand, holding it back. The bandaged men and women watched in complete horror and huddled close to each other in fear.

Eboshi on the other hand, despite what was occurring around her, remained as she was, not even batting an eye. She didn't even make a move to evade the clawing motions Alex's right hand was going for her face, obviously lusting to crush her head and tear her face off her skull. When it looked as though the bloodthirsty, armored hand's fingers would bury themselves deep into her skull, the movement stopped as the hand balled up into a fist, just inches from her face.

"Does that demon inside of you wish to kill me, Alex?" she asked completely unfazed.

"If doing so would lift the curse and rid me of this symbiotic armor…" Alex clenched his teeth while trying to push the growing power back under control, "...I'd let it rip the flesh off your face, and crush your skull." He cringed and was finally able to pull his arm back, "But I doubt that would solve anything, would it?"

"No it wouldn't," Eboshi replied, "It would have to kill every man and woman in Iron Town before it could finally be at peace."

"If that's the case…" said Alex, his rage diminishing, and once again he had regained control of his hand. And then the black ooze melted off and the armor retracted back to the wrist chain as the gem's glow dimmed once more. "I'd rather die. Because the last thing I want to become is a cold-blooded murderer like you."

For a Long time the two remained silent, Staring at each other like two vipers ready to lash out, baring their venomous fangs.

"Milady," a man called out, "Osa has something to say…"

All eyes turned towards a mass of bandages and straw quilts lying in the corner of the room. When Alex looked more closely he could just barley make out the form the old man. He, unlike the other inhabitants of the garden, was covered in bandages to the point were not even a single piece of skin could be seen.

"Forgive me Milady," he said just above a whisper, his voice raspy and weak, "But you..... you must not make light of this boy's strength and rage." He coughed painfully and continued, "Young man.....I too know what it is like to feel the rage and hatred that you feel... to feel nothing but endless grief and helplessness, but......but you mustn't unleash that rage on Lady Eboshi.......She.....she was the first person in this cursed land who looked past our infections and disease and saw us as humans.....for you see....we all are lepers....walking corpses that are hated and feared by all the world.....Lady Eboshi took us in from the cold streets......scrubbed our rotting flesh and bandaged us." He coughed again, this time to the point where his whole body shook.

"Osa," said the younger man who was sitting beside him. "Please, don't say any more." He reached out with a fingerless hand that was bound in cloth and rested it gently on Osa's chest, "Just rest, now."

"Life....is hard to bare when every day you wake up to nothing but suffering...... The world is cursed.....but.…" The bandages around his eyes began to dampen with tears. "But no matter how horrible it all may seem, we find reasons to keep on living...... I'm sorry, I'm making no sense."

It was at that moment, all the anger and hate that was in Alex's heart disappeared… and was replaced with pity and sadness; he shook his head as his face went into a frown. Never in his life had he felt more ashamed and disgusted with himself, "No, Osa," he said, "What you say makes more sense, than anything that I could ever say or hear from."

* * *

**Later On**

**Outside**

* * *

Except for the few chirping crickets and the howling of the wind the lands beyond the walls of Iron-Town were amazingly quiet. It was a hollow, lifeless quite. As Alex stood along the platform that ran along the wall, he leaned between the pointed tips of the logs that made up the wall itself. He looked out at the barren landscape of mountains that had been stripped clean of all life. They were ugly.... more than ugly. Just looking at them made him feel cold. The gnarled, twisted shapes of dead trees reminded him of skeletons, which reminded him of death.

As the youth continued to look dourly at the dead lands, he saw a few obscured shapes moving about the rocks and shadows. He leaned further over the wall in hopes of getting a better look. At that very instant, a deafening burst of sound ripped through the air, causing him to recoil in shock. When he opened his eyes he saw a small fiery-red dot flying through the air with incredible speed. The red dot hit the ground kicking up the rock and dirt in a small explosion.

He then looked over his should and saw none other than Princess Yashahime standing behind him with one of the new rifles resting on her shoulder. Smoke was flowing from the barrel. "They're back," the young woman said calmly, but in her voice arose a rage beyond anything Alex could feel or have heard of.

"Who's they?"

"The apes," she answered loading another ammunition chamber into the rifle. She then took aim, and fired off another shot. "No matter how many times those drives them off, those hairy beasts just keep coming back."

"Why?" Alex asked watching the second explosion burst from the ground.

"They want to turn the mountains where we mine the ore back into a forest again. So every night they return to the same spot to plant trees, no matter how many times we keep pulling them up." She set the rifle aside and tucked her arms into the sleeves of her silk kimono dress, and smiled to him, "Why don't you stay here with me, Alex? Help me kill the spirit of this forest. Help me kill Shisha-Gami, and then after the other Spirit Kings. With the power you possess not even Moro or the Princess Mononoke could stand in your way."

"And completely screw up my only chance of getting rid of this curse?" Alex retorted, not knowing whether to laugh or cuss at the woman. "Sorry, but I'm not interested. Besides," He looked back out towards the forests beyond the wasteland. "If you kill Shisha-Gami, you'll kill the entire forest."

Without that ancient relic of the past, the animals of this forrest will be nothing more than mindless creatures once again. And as soon as Moro and those wolves are wiped out, and this cursed forest has been cleared, this desolate place will become the richest land in the world.

"But don't you care?" Alex asked, "Humans need the forest just as much as the beasts do."

"We can survive without it," Yashahime explained. But then she turned her attention to Alex as she stated, "For you see…" she then lifted her sleeve up and showed Alex the steel blue band on her wrist, "I too was cursed… by Moro's mate when I was very young." this earned a surprised look of shock on his face, "Surprised? Believe me, Alex… I too possess the same curse; an armor that fills me with such rage and hatred. But I've learned to control it, and make that power my own."

She looked to Alex as she furthered explained her scheme, "Over the years, I've gathered a small band of those who are cursed, much like you and I are. With them, I'll sick them upon Moro and her clan, wiping them out in a single day." she chuckled evilly at this, "I'd love to see that little wolf-whore try to fight against something as powerful as that." she then smiled to Alex as she purred, "If you want, you could join me as my mate in crime. I'd be happy to let you bash the wolf princess in once or twice before I rip her head off her body."

Alex just looked at the girl in slight horror, but was unable to say anything. This girl was beautiful, but to Alex's sight, it only served to hide what darkness lurked inside her. And this was what made him terrified, even in his thoughts, 'This girl's… man, she's really messed up. Kind of like that girl from that movie, Swimfan.'

Yashahime furrowed her thin eyebrows and pursed her lips in thought, "But if you don't want to fight as my mate or to kill for vengeance, there is something to help you with," she continued, "The legends say that the blood of Shisha-Gami will cure even the greatest diseases. Perhaps it will be able to heal Eboshi's poor lepers." She looked at Alex once again and smiled, "It may even be able to lift _your_ curse_._ But personally, I'd keep it."__

"Sorry, Princess," The young outlander replied turning around and making his way towards the ladder leading back to the ground, "But I'd prefer to find another way to lift my curse. A way that won't involve killing something..... or someone for that matter." He climbed down the ladder and disappeared into the shadows.

Yashahime shook her head then picked up the rifle. After reloading it once more she returned the weapon to her shoulder, "Such a waste. All that power… and no strength or will to use it," she said before pressing down on the trigger.

* * *

**Elsewhere in Town**

* * *

Alex buried his hands in the folds of his kimono and sighed dejectedly. It seemed that things had only gone from bad to worse in a matter of hours. He had almost taken a life once again. The life of the person responsible for his suffering, but a life no less. He wondered what would have happened if had let the power within him take full control and kill Eboshi. Would the demon inside of him finally be at rest? Would the curse Nago had left upon him finally be lifted. And then there was Yashahime; he didn't know if the girl was just crazy or just pure evil from the way she acted. From the way she spoke, it was possibly a bit of both. The endless line of questions pounded through his skull, making his head hurt.

As he passed the giant iron works building he could hear the gentle voices of several women joined in song. The soft, beautiful notes filled Alex's ears, drawing him closer to the enormous building's entrance. When he was finally at the entrance he looked with astonishment at the giant smelting furnace that was spewing molten iron from the supply of ore it was constantly being fed. The intense heat of the furnace made the air hot and dry, and the black smoke that rose from its mouth filled the buildings interior with the foul smelling fumes that burned Alex's nose and eyes.

But the thing that held the most possession over his attention was the song that flowed through the air like a symphonic chorus. He followed the sounds of the singing voices until his eyes came to rest on the group of women that had been flirting with him no more than an hour ago. Some were lounging about while the remaining twelve stood around what looked like a giant see-saw, pumping each side up and down with their bare feet. With every pump, a loud hissing noise echoed through the building.

'This must be what they were talking about when they mentioned pumping the bellows,' Alex thought to himself as he continued to watch the women work and sing. The more he watched them the more he could see the fatigue and exhaustion on their sweating faces.

"Well, look who decided to pay us a visit!"

Alex almost cringed when he saw Toki waving childishly at him from where she was resting. With a slight shutter he lifted his hand and waved back, trying to smile. "Hello Toki," he called back.

"Don't just stand there all alone," Toki replied, and patted an empty cushion next to her. "Come on over here and make yourself comfortable.

The young outlander just shrugged and slowly began to make his way towards the group of giggling women, many of whom were blushing. He found the cushion next to Toki an sat down.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Toki asked, nudging Alex in the shoulder. She then filled a small cup of sake and offered it to him. "Care for some?"

Alex shook his head, "No thank you. I don't drink" He chuckled. "You got any water?"

"Suite yourself." With a single gulp, the young woman downed the entire drink. "You don't know what you're missing, though." She then poured Alex a serving of cool water. "Here."

The youth accepted the cup gratefully and began to drink, "Thank you." They sat in silence for a while, watching the other women working the bellows. After a few moments passed, Alex asked, "Is this how you all earn a living?"

"I suppose, if that's the way you want to look at it," Toki answered, "It's not the easiest job in the world, I can tell you that much."

"Our shifts are four days long," Chimed another woman lying on her side, "and the furnace always makes everything hot."

"It must be hard working like this for you."

"It's really not that bad," Toki replied, "At least not nearly as bad compared to our last jobs."

"Where did you ladies used to work?" Alex asked, taking another sip of his water. What came next took him completely by surprise.

"Brothels," Toki answered casually.

The water suddenly caught itself in Alex's throat, causing his to gag, "Say what?"

"That's right," Toki chuckled, "You're looking at twenty former members of the willow world."

"But-but-but, you mean that you......and they......?" He cringed and gave off a shutter, "Holy crap… !"

"And if it hadn't been for Lady Eboshi, we'd still be in those brothels."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, 'if it hadn't been for Lady Eboshi'?"

The woman who was lying on her side spoke up once more, "She's the one who bought out all our contracts. It's because of her that we're able to earn a decant living without pleasuring some fat samurai who's looking for some action."

Alex frowned and leaned his chin on his clasped knuckles, "So I guess......you all owe a lot to Lady Eboshi then.

"Of course," Toki answered. "We owe the Lady our very lives for what she's done for us."

Alex nodded and sighed, "I guess it's harder for me to understand that, since I'm not a woman, and I've never had to live the same lives as you have," He returned his gaze to the women pumping the bellows. "But still, I can see why you'd feel such loyalty towards her."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Wolf Princess Storms the Fort; Curse's Power and Form Revealed**

* * *


	12. The Curse's Form and Power Released

**

* * *

**

Legendary Adventurers; Futuristic Saviors

* * *

**Chapter 11: Wolf Princess Storms the Fort; Curse's Power and Form Revealed**

* * *

**Late that Night**

**Outside Iron Town's Borders**

* * *

As she sat silently atop her wolven brother's furry back. San stared down at the island fortress of the human's Iron town. Her young face was writhed with spite and vicious hatred. 'Gun-woman… Ghost Princess… Tonight will be the night…' She thought, 'Tonight will be the night I slash my blade through your throats and end your miserable lives.' She sniffed at the air and wrinkled her nose when the foul odor of the iron works touched her nostrils.

"San," Kiba said, breaking what had been a long silence.

"Yes, Kiba? What is it?" she answered, not taking her dark eyes off Iron Town.

"This is your last chance to reconsider what you are about to do."

"I know."

Kiba's ears twitched as he looked over his shoulder and at San who was sitting on his back, "I suppose I would just be wasting my breath asking you if you've even given it a thought."

"I have Kiba," San replied coldly, "I've given it many thoughts. But no matter what direction I approach from, the simple fact still remains." Her eyes narrowed, "That Gun-woman and that Ghost Princess tried to kill Mother. I'll never forgive either one of them for that!"

"Neither shall we, San," Tsume spoke up, but for once in his rash and impulsive life, spoke up in reason, "But charging blindly in the heart of the human's dwelling won't shorten our war against the them, nor will it end Mother's pain."

"I agree with Tsume," Kiba added, "As soon as you breach those walls, every human in the area will be after you."

"But don't you realize all that could be accomplished?" San asked, "If I can kill the Gun-woman, and that Gods-forsaken Ghost Princess, then the other humans will be without a leader. Humans always need a leader, without one, all they can do is scurry about like mindless idiots," She exhaled loudly, "And I must avenge our Mother's honor as both a wolf and as a God."

"Even if it means dying in the process?"

San nodded, "If it means saving our home and our mother, I would gladly make that sacrifice."

"You know that she'll be furious with you when she finds out about this," said Tsume.

She then smirked as she looked to Tsume, "Since when did you become the cautious type, Tsume?"

"I'm only cautious for now, because you're being so damn reckless," Tsume mumbled."

San smiled at her brother, but then furrowed her eyebrows and frowned, "That may be so," she said, remembering the look on the Wolf-God's face as she had forbade all three to them to engage the humans further than they already have.

The very moment the words reached San's ears, she realized that her mother had not only suffered a shot to the neck at the hands of the Gun-Woman but a damaged pride as well. And to add to the humiliation, she was being beaten to death by a human, the Ghost Princess, the only human to ever escape the Wolf Tribe completely alive and unspoiled. She didn't know how the Ghost Princess did it; maybe it was some new weapon like the guns. The young wolf-girl shook her head. Though she had always tried to obey her mother's wishes without question, it was times like this when her own ego and her own sense of pride clouded her better judgment.

"That damned woman has been nothing but a festering sore since she arrived with her guns, or the Ghost Princess with her bandits," she snarled aloud, every word filled with venom and hatred for those two women, "Those two have destroyed forests and taken land that rightfully belong to our clan and the others. And now they've mortally wounded our Mother. I'm tired of just rolling over and letting them get away with their crimes against us."

Kiba and Tsume shared a troubled glance as they continued to listen to their human sister.

"That woman is going to die this night, Kiba, and I'm the one who's going to kill her," San said coldly. "Even if it means going against our mother's wishes."

Kiba sighed and growled. "If that is what you desire, San," the large wolf replied. "Tsume and myself will give you whatever aid we can."

San smiled and leaned closer to Kiba's head. Do you mean that? she asked.

"We've always done so in the past," said Tsume. "I don't see why we should change that now."

San's grin grew even broader. "The only aid I need, is for you to help me get over the human compound's barrier," she said. "After that, I want you to return to the cave. Both of you."

Kiba's ears twitched again. "Are sure about that San?" he replied.

Tsume reached over and brushed his furry maw against the young wolf-girl's stomach and nuzzled her affectionately, "You'll be fighting the human's off by yourself," he added, "We won't be able to help you if anything should happen."

San laughed quietly and scratched the small spot on Tsume's snout that he always enjoyed to have scratched. Upon feeling his human sister's finger nails graze the hairs on his snout, the large wolf growled with appease. "You'll be easier targets for the riflemen than I will. I don't want what happened to Mother to happen to you two as well." She then looked to the Iron Town once more, "But most of all.…" She reached over her head and pulled her red mask over her face, "When I finally face that woman and kill her, I want the satisfaction of knowing that I was able to do it by myself."

"Have it your way, San," Kiba retorted. Both he and Tsume then began to make their way down the mountain and towards Iron Town.

* * *

**Back Inside Iron Town**

**In the Guest Hut**

Never in his life had Alex felt more alone, but it was mostly in his thoughts at this point. As he lay silently on the soft futon he had been given with his head nestled in the cup of his hands, listening to the constant clanging of iron being hammered and hating it, the dark-haired youth's brain continued to stir in a sea of thoughts. Thoughts about himself, his curse, the mysterious Shisha-Gami, the beautiful wolf girl and her family of giant wolves, Toki and all the other women whom had been bought out of bondage by the benevolent Lady Eboshi, and the crazy Ghost Princess, Princess Yashahime.

Alex's brow pinched into a frown and he rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow. Just the sound of both those woman's names disturbed him when he thought about it, and thinking about the women themselves were enough to send his mind into a muddled stupor.

The moment he had laid eyes on her, Alex knew that Eboshi was probably nothing more than a cold hearted, self-righteous, capitalist who could make George W. Bush or Richard Nixon look like an eco saint. But after listening to both the old leper and Toki's stories of how the powerful mistress had freed them and their peers from lives of misery and took them under her wing. The more he thought about it, the more harder it became to keep a solid opinion about Eboshi. There was only one thing that Alex was certain of: The woman, Lady Eboshi, was a true enigma with many faces. One minute she could be a saint, and then just as quickly she could be the devil himself.

'Jeez! That woman's just complicated,' he thought, 'Why couldn't things be so simple, like that Yashahime girl,_' _He turned over onto his back again and thought about the Ghost Princess, 'I mean, sure she's beautiful… but she's insane. She wants to kill the forest just to get even with the Wolf Princess. She's a masochist and a sadist all in one,' he shook his head as he corrected himself, 'No, I take it back! She's a sadist, psycho, Adolf Hitler, with a Lindsey Lohan and Lacey Chebert body mixed together.' however, he shook that one out of his head as he had thought of something that he had almost forgotten while on this journey: his home.

'I wonder what's happened while I've been away? I'm sure my family's going crazy at this point; Kari's probably having kittens for the sixth time; crying her poor eyes out seeing that her older brother's gone missing, and dad.......he's probably been too busy performing plastic surgery on one of his computers to even notice that I'm missing at all.' His frown increased, 'But then again… he already knows I'm missing, and that he's probably going on one of his crazy hysterical moods…'

The teenage outlander sighed, 'Now that I think about it… do I even really want to go home?' The thought made him laugh, "Of course you wanna go home, you nimrod! I don't belong here; I'm from the 21st century," he said aloud. It's either that, or stay here in pre-historic Godzilla Country, were something's trying to kill you every five minutes, be they man, beast, god or demon."

It was at that moment when the constant sounds of clanging finally got to him, breaching his limit of tolerance. He tossed aside the futon's heavy blanket and sprung to his feet. Clad only in a set of gray boxer brief, he quickly stomped over to the window of his small guest quarters and stuck his head out. "Hey! Keep it down out there, will ya?" he shouted, "You people think twelve hours straight is long enough? Give it a friggan rest already, gee!" He then closed the shutters with a 'slam' and flopped back onto the futon.

When he looked to his right, he saw Isaac staring at him with yet another one of his patented looks. "Okay, so I have a short fuse, so sue me already." He exhaled loudly and let his head sink into the softness of his pillow.

"You might wanna work on that then," Isaac yipped out as he stood up, "That curse'll feed off it, and get stronger by the minute."

"Is there a reason you're still up," Alex asked, feeling grouchy now that his sleep was further interrupted.

Suddenly a rhythmic salvo of sharp metallic clapping reverberated through the entire Iron Town compound, causing Alex to jerk himself upward. "Now what?" he asked.

"The wolves are coming!" someone shouted, "It's the Princess Mononoke!"

Alex shared a quick look with Isaac, as the little Fox-Squirrel pointed out, "That's what I was gonna warn you about."

"Son of a… !" he said, scrambling into his freshly cleaned clothes.

* * *

**Back Outside the Fortress Walls**

* * *

San's hand clutched her blade like the jaws of a wolf on its prey as Kiba barreled down the mountain with ferocious haste. The silvery wolf's pointed ears twitched when the sound of the human alarm touched them. "The humans know we're coming, San," he growled.

"Which means they'll be ready for you when you breach the barrier," Tsume added.

"Good," San retorted.

"Good?" Kiba asked half amused, "And just why is that good, San?"

"Because, dear Brother," the young wolf-girl replied, "There's no honor in fighting an opponent with their head up their rear."

Kiba smirked, his long black lips lifting to expose his razor sharp fangs, "I see."

Without warning, a swarm of red-hot projectiles struck the ground, missing San and the two wolves by a few feet. "They're on the defense, San!" Tsume called out, dodging another round of projectiles, "If you're going to make your move, the time is now!"

But the young wolf-girl did not reply. Instead she raised her spear high above her head and let loose the most bone chilling cry of war she could conjure. She then pointed the spear towards the wall that surrounded Iron Town and tugged the fur of Kiba's right shoulder.

With a low-pitched growl, the large wolf broke away from his brother and began to make his decent down the steep gully that separated the mountain from Iron Town. As he drew closer to the bottom, San lifted herself onto her feet, keeping perfect balance. When he reached the gully's bottom , Kiba doubled his speed and charged up the adjoining slope. As the seconds passed, the rows of sharp spikes that ran along the barrier's perimeter drew closer.

"Now Kiba!" San shouted, bracing herself for the approaching impact.

Pivoting his weight, Kiba rotated himself so that his back was the only part of his body facing the spikes, and with a grotesque crash, collided into the first row. The impact was powerful but did not harm him in the least. It did however manage to bring him to an abrupt halt.

The sudden change in her wolven brother's speed caused San to catapult into the air like a rock. She passed over every row of the deadly spiked logs and as soon as she was close enough, drove the blade of her spear deep into one of the many logs that made up the wall. Letting her reflexes take control, the young wolf-girl pulled herself over the lodged in spear and clambered up the side of the wall until she was safely over the rim and face to face with one of the masked riflemen.

As the dumfounded man stared at her, San whipped out her dagger and with a single, blindingly fast movement sliced open the man's throat. Another guard, rushed towards her, swinging his rifle around like a club. But to no avail, as the Wolf girl's movements were that of water; smooth, graceful, and untouchable. When the man, missed, San swiped at his mid-section, causing him to back away, and fall off the wall, screaming down to his death.

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

As he struggled to hastily tie his jacket around his waist, Alex ran through the narrow avenues that criss-crossed all through Iron Town, eyeing the pandemonium which had swept over the entire compound in less than a few minutes. Everywhere he looked he saw the townspeople scurrying in panic, while groups of riflemen ran passed with their strange looking musket-staves slung over their shoulders. "Just what the hell is going on here?" he asked, "Has everyone in this town lost their marbles or something?"

When he turned the next corner, he was immediately greeted by the slashing blade of an incredibly agile Princess Mononoke. The girl had descended upon him without warning, which took him completely by surprise.

"Oh crap!" Alex cried as he jumped back in time to avoid a nasty cut to his jugular, falling into a pile of cut lumber in the process. When he looked up he saw that the masked figure in white fur was standing over him. He could feel the girl's sharp eyes scrutinizing him from behind the emotionless visage of her red mask.

Then, without even thinking he grinned widely at her. "Uh… hi, angel," he said sheepishly, waving at her weakly, "Fancy meeting you here. I like the mask; gotta admit, red's definitely your color."

"I should have know that you were working with these humans," the Princess Mononoke retorted coldly towards him, her every word filled with venom stabbing right at him, "No matter what color their skin is, humans always seem cluster together," she lunged at Alex, her dagger slashing wildly at his face and chest in a wild frenzy.

"Wait a minute, you've got it all wrong!" Alex protested, evading the onslaught very easily, due to his martial arts training. "I'm here because it was convenient for me!"

"A likely story," the Wolf Princess shot, as she stabbed forward. Only instead of hitting, he was able to use his right arm in a strange move and blocked it. When she tried to swipe at him, he either would duck, jump back, or grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward away from him. This situation angered San to some extent as she gritted her teeth under her mask, 'Dammit! Why can't I strike him? I know I'm must stronger and faster than any human…' and then shot forward, only to have him dodge her again, '… so why is he keep dodging me so easily?'

"Look, I'm not with these people; I just arrived here today. You've got to belie…" His foot suddenly caught on something and before he could finish the sentence was once again on the ground.

The wolf-girl chuckled behind her mask and raised her dagger to make the killing blow. A small explosion suddenly erupted next to her, sending splintery chunks of wood sailing in all directions. When she looked over her shoulder she saw a group of men armed with long staves with blades on the ends heading towards her, a musket carrying riflemen leading them. 

"Damn them," she hissed and looked back at Alex, pointing the tip of her dagger at his face. The blade nearly reached the bridge of his nose, as the Wolf Girl hissed, "The next time you cross my sight, human, you die!" She then scrambled up a piece of lumber that was leaning against a house and leapt on to the roof. Within seconds, the young wolf-girl was jumping from roof to roof, her strong yet slender legs moving faster than anything other humans could accomplish.

All the while, Alex could only stare in total bewilderment at the Princess Mononoke's incredible maneuverability. "How the heck can she move like that?" he asked himself, thinking about all the gold medals she would probably win if she ever entered a gymnastics competition.

"She's heading towards the iron works!" a man shouted, gesturing towards the large pyramid-shaped building.

"If we use the western alleys, and move quick enough," the riflemen suggested, "…we might be able to cut her off." He turned to the other men, "One of you, go and inform Captain Gonza about the situation, the rest of you follow me!"

"Yes sir!" they all replied and divided up as their leader had ordered.

As the riflemen's group proceeded down the dark alley, Alex jumped to his feet and caught one of the men by the arm, "Hey, wait a minute!" he said. "Just what do you plan to do, skin her?"

The man yanked his arm free of Alex's grasp, "She's our enemy, outlander," he retorted dryly. "The sooner that wolf-whore's dead, the better!"

The dark-haired youth shook his head, "She's just a girl, you bastards!" he said, his every word saturated with anger. "Okay, a crazy, wild, possibly rabid, out for blood, wanting to kill everything in sight girl, but what gives you the right to kill her?"

The man grunted, "Don't let her womanly features corrupt your judgment, young sir," he replied. "That wolf-whore's as evil and wicked as any of hell's creatures. You'd probably be better off sharing your bed with one of those rotting lepers Lady Eboshi has hidden away in that work shop of hers."

Alex stared blankly at the man for a few, short seconds. "Okay," he said calmly, balling his right fist, "Now… I'm _really _pissed," With that, he bunched his hand into a fist and belted the man across the face, sending him sprawling.

After rubbing the soreness out of his knuckles, the young outlander darted up the slanted pieces of lumber as the wolf-girl had done so just moments earlier and with great difficulty, pulled himself onto the roof. As he looked across the long sea of rooftops, he saw that the girl he was pursuing had already reached the iron works and was in the process of making her way to the top of its gigantic roof.

"Dammit!" he cursed under his breath, "That crazy girl's gonna get herself killed!" Exhaling loudly, the young outlander began jumping from one house to another, moving as fast as his already tired legs would allow him.

* * *

**Iron Town's Square**

* * *

Lady Eboshi stepped through the gates to her house and out into the pandemonium that was spreading through the streets of her Iron Town. Everyone was either shouting at one another, or waving around a weapon of some sort. 'Just like hornets,' she thought to herself, shaking her head slowly. 'Throw so much as a pebble at the nest and the entire swarm will go mad with fury.' She looked towards a group of her riflemen who were receiving orders from Gonza.

"Gonza!" she called out.

The burly Guard Captain rushed towards her and bowed, "Milady!"

"What's the current situation?"

Gonza grunted once and frowned, "The wolf-girl has managed to breach our walls, and elude our forces," he said. "She's making her way towards the iron works as we speak, Milady."

"What about the wolves?" Eboshi asked.

"The watchmen said that as soon as she was over the wall," Gonza reported, "The two beasts retreated into the hills."

The young Mistress of Iron Town looked at her loyal subordinate with an amused expression. "She's alone then?"

"It appears that way," Gonza answered quickly.

"How very brave of her," Eboshi retorted, smirking, "The girl is either very courageous or very suicidal."

"You know she means to take your life this time, Milady. You and Lady Yashahime."

"Yashahime's taking a nap at the moment. I'll save the Wolf Girl for her," the young woman laughed, "But not if these two take her life first." She turned around and gestured towards the gates to her house. From the darkness emerged two women, each armed with one of the new, match-lock styled rifles. As soon as they reached Eboshi, they stopped and stood stiffly at attention.

Eboshi glanced silently at the two women and started off towards the iron works building. "This way," she said. "Your vindication awaits you."

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

With a heavy sighed and a quick spit to get the foul taste out of his mouth, Alex dug his feet into his current roof and sprung forward with enough force to dislodge a few wooden shingles. Heaving painful breath after painful breath, the youth raced across roof and with one burst of physical power, lunged off the edge and flew across the gap that separated him from the iron works, his hands stretching forward. His entire upper torso caught solid wood as he slammed into the neighboring roof.

"Shit!" he cringed, his hands and chin digging into the shingles like meat-hooks, while his kicked and squirmed in the air, trying to find something to latch onto, "Forget being a male nurse or a doctor/surgeon. Maybe I should start my one business," he muttered, clutching a wooden beam that ran along the roof and pulled himself over the rim, "Call it selfless martyr for hire!"

Suddenly an all to familiar voice called out from the crowed. "Can you hear me, Princess Mononoke?" it said.

Alex moved across the enormous roof and saw Lady Eboshi stepping out into a large clearing, flanked by a pair of rifle armed women, "What the… ? What's she doing?"

"If it's me and Yashahime you wish to kill, then come out and do so!" She smiled evilly, "I know it's something you've wanted to do for a long time, now, hasn't it? Something you've longed for, desired, even lusted. All for the sake of avenging the deaths of the forest creature's we've killed over the years. The time has come for us to finish this, wouldn't you agree?

Alex frowned at this, knowing full well that Eboshi was up to something, 'This smells big time! he thought. Just what the hell are you trying to pull, Eboshi?'

"However, Eboshi continued. Before you try your blade against mine, I would like to introduce you to two women who also seek revenge! She looked over her shoulder and glanced at the two women standing behind her. Revenge for family that have been slain by you and your wolves.

"Come out and face me you murdering wolf-whore!" the shorter, thin woman shouted, "My husband is dead because of you!"

"And so is my son!" the other, roundish woman added.

A thick shroud of silence passed over the crowds of townspeople as the dark shape of a human figured rose from the peak of the iron works. The Princess Mononoke had finally shown herself, letting her presence be known by all.

For a long time Alex watched her as she looked down at the human's below. He watched the way her exotic yet frightening mask hid her face, the way the black and red ears, carved from pieces of wood to imitate those of a wolf's jutted from her hood, the way her cloak of white fur and clothing whipped through the air like the robes of death.

As he looked at her, standing all exotic and mysterious as he was, he had thought ponder into his head at this time. Were all those terrible stories about her true? Was she in fact the wicked princess of the forest that killed without pity or remorse? The longer Alex let her image fill his vision, the more the answer seemed to elude him.

"So as you can see, Princess of Ghouls and Beasts," Eboshi continued, "These two women have as much reason to hate you as you to hate all of us." She took a few steps forward and stopped when she was at the center of the clearing, "Why don't you come down here, and face us like a true princess should? Then we shall see who's desire for revenge is stronger."

At that very moment, dozens upon dozens of armed riflemen were snaking their way through the narrow alleyways and taking up position along the surrounding roofs and watch towers. All the while Alex was watching them, going completely unnoticed from his small hiding place on the ironwork's roof. "It's a trap!" he said silently, the startling realization coming to him almost immediately, "The whole thing's a trap!"

"Wait, Princess! Don't listen to her! She's just trying to trick you!" the young outlander shouted, running a short distance up the sloping roof. His voice echoed all through the air, "It's a trap!" The wolf-girl just ignored him. "Don't you get it? They're gonna kill you!" There was still no response. Unable to control his growing anger, Alex tightened his fists and shouted, "You crazy girl, please listen to me! If you go down there you're gonna die! Don't throw your life away for the sake of some stupid feud!"

"You're wasting your time, Alexander!" Eboshi called out, gaining his attention, "She knows very well that no matter what the outcome of this assault may be, her life ends tonight within these walls!" The young woman smirked, "Her fate has been sealed, Alexander. It's pointless to prolong the inevitable!"

Alex reeled on her, "Says you, Eboshi!" he snapped viciously, "You may think that destroying this forest is going to bring prosperity to your Iron Town, but it won't! If anything, this war's just going to bring ruin and destruction! Just like it nearly did to the village I saved from the God Demon that your rifles created!"

"Here she comes!" a riflemen shouted, raising his musket.

When Alex turned around and looked up, he saw that the Princess Mononoke was already rushing down the roof, her dagger raised to make its next kill. He looked back at the riflemen who were preparing to fire, then back at the Wolf Girl.

"Crap!" he said under his breath and began running across the roof, hoping to intercept her before she reached the edge. That hope was slowly beginning to fade when he saw that she was already halfway down the roof. Being physically exhausted didn't help matters either.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his wrist, causing him to cry out in anguish and clutch his right wrist. The pain was ringing and buzzing through his brain and wouldn't stop.

"FIRE!" shouted the rifle man before the sounds of gunfire filled the air.

Hearing this, Alex pushed aside the pain in his head and wrist, and threw himself at the Princess Mononoke. "Look out!" he yelled, grabbing her by the waist and pushing her out of range. As they both tumbled over each other, the section of roof that Alex had pushed the wolf-girl away from was violently torn apart by an onslaught of red-hot iron projectiles.

The two humans continued to role down the roof, unable to stop as they nearly reached the edge. The now enraged Princess Mononoke kicking and struggling to free herself from a very confused Alex's hold. "Let go of me you stupid human!" she growled, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to save your life!" Alex shot back, cringing as the kicks to his shins and knees intensified, "Ow! That hurt's dammit!" He kept a strong grip on the hand which held the dagger. The least he could do was keep her from stabbing him.

When they finally reached the edge of the roof, the wolf-girl was the first one to go over. However, before she was able to fall that much of a distance, Alex grabbed hold of a piece of wood sticking out of the roof and tightened his grasp on her wrist, "Just hang on!" he shouted, gritting his teeth and wincing at the growing pain in his arms and shoulders, "I won't let you go! I swear!"

"These encounters of ours are really becoming irritating, human!" the young wolf-girl said from behind her mask as she dangled high above the ground like a piece of drying meat.

"At this point in my life, the feeling's becoming mutual, Princess," Alex retorted curtly, "Just what are you trying to do, get yourself killed or something?"

"Your concern touches me, human. But unlike you, I'm not afraid to die!"

"How admirable," Alex grunted, "But it's not about fear, for me…"

Just then another round of projectiles were fired at them. A few struck the several feet away from the young wolf-girl's torso, the rest near Nathan's legs and head. One however, managed to to catch a section of Nathan's shoulder, ripping the leather of his jacket and skimming the surface. The dark-haired youth cried out in pain, the suddenness of the injury causing his hand to open and release the wrist he was holding on to.

The Princess Mononoke fell nearly thirty feet before she landed on the hard ground. Though she had not been damaged by the impact, she was left somewhat dazed. With a pained groan, she pushed herself onto her feet. When she looked up from the ground she saw Lady Eboshi standing many yards away, the two rifle armed women at her sides.

"Fire!" the Iron town mistress shouted.

Two blasts erupted from the muzzle of each woman's rifle, sending two iron bullets screaming towards the wolf-girl. One missed, but the other struck the center of her mask, shattering it and sent her flying backwards. When she hit the ground once more, her head was slammed against it, knocking her out-cold.

"No!" Alex exclaimed, thinking that the shot may have killed her.

"She's down," Gonza bellowed, unsheathing his long sword, "Take the wolf-whore's head while we still have that chance!" He pointed the blade at the ironworks building and started running. "For the glory of Lady Eboshi!"

"For the glory of lady Eboshi!" twenty other men repeated, following close behind Gonza with their staves clutched in both hands.

"No!" Alex shouted as loud as he could, forgetting his injury, "DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR HER!!!"

A torrent of vicious power suddenly surged from his body, ripping through the air, faster than the speed of sound itself. He shot both of his hands into the roof, and without even wasting time, pulled out two of the roof's support beams. And then turned his attention back to Gonza and the men; he then hurled the two beams at them, like spears, piercing the ground. Of course, he didn't kill them, but they had pierced the ground near Gonza's feet, causing the mob to stop in fear.

When he felt his destructive yet powerful strength beginning to subside, Alex leapt off the edge of the roof and fell to the ground many feet below. Despite the distance he had dropped, he landed with the ample grace of a cat and without even batting an eye. The marks all over his body were now throbbing and burning like never before, and he could feel the demon within himself fighting to take control once again. But no matter how strong it was, Nathan wasn't going to surrender himself to its dominion again.

He ran over to the unconscious girl and crouched next to her. Once again he found himself entranced by the mysterious beauty of her face. But now was not the time to be ogling; he shook his head as he attempted to wake the girl up, or at least hope to see if she lived. "Hey," he said, shaking her gently, "Come on, wake up," He looked over his shoulder and saw that Gonza and his twenty lackeys were on the move again. "Come on, you crazy idiot, wake up!" he yelled slapping her cheek. To his relief, the young wolf-girl began to open her eyes. 

It took a few seconds for San's mind to function normally once again. When the blurriness of her vision finally cleared, she looked up and found herself once again face to face with the strange looking human with the fair-colored skin. Letting pure compulsive reflex take control of her body, the young wolf-girl flashed her arm outward and back-handed the human so roughly across his face that it sent him flying several feet back. She then picked up her dagger and darted towards the approaching humans.

The one with the shaved head and beard, the man she had often heard the gun-woman refer to 'Gonza' lunged towards her with his long sword drawn back. Moving with inhumanly fast accuracy, San leapt over the slashing blade, dodging it by mere inches and performed a graceful mid-air somersault. As she descended the young wolf-girl drove one foot into Gonza's face, then kicked him with her other. The force of kick sent San flying over the heads of the other men who were frozen with bewilderment.

As soon as she landed on the other side of the group, the young wolf-girl's dark eyes immediately locked on the single reason she had come to this disgusting town in the first place. The vile gun-woman, known only as Lady Eboshi.

Blaring a savage cry of war, she clutched her dagger tightly and rushed through the wide Iron town street, lost in a state of raw ferocity, "You're mine, Gun-Woman!" she screamed and brought her dagger back, ready to thrust it deep into Eboshi's heart.

However, just as San made her attack, the seemingly unfazed mistress of Iron Town threw aside her cloak, revealing the sword she had been holding the entire time. There was a flash of bright sparks as the two blades struck. San Jumped back, seeing that her initial attack had failed and moved in for another strike. Her movements were as precise and deadly as any seasoned warrior, and her skill with the blade was matched only by her ferocious nature. She was perhaps one of the world's most lethal fighters, for not only did she posses the speed and sharp whit of a human, but also the strategic cunning of a wolf.

But unlike most of the other human's San has encountered over the years, there was one thing that she was not, and that was stupid. Though the young wolf-girl held tremendous confidence in her abilities as both a wolf and a fighter, she knew exactly when to recognize an opponent equal to herself. And though it disgusted her to admit it, Eboshi was just as deadly and just as cunning as she was.

"I thought you came here to take my life," Eboshi bated, slashing her sword. The wolf-girl dodged the attack and whirled around to retaliate. Eboshi just swatted the dagger aside. "Why do you hold back?"

Hurling herself towards her opponent, San thrashed her dagger in a berserker onslaught of attacks. She moved like a gyrating cyclone, her fur cloak and hair whipping around, synchronized with her every movement. When she saw the sword advancing on her she back flipped away from the older woman.

As the two combatants circled each other hundreds of townspeople began crowding around them, forming a living ring of shouted, screaming, and wild cheering for Eboshi to kill the Wolf Girl.

A sudden realization came over San as she kept her eyes fixed on her opponent. After carefully observing and studying the woman's movements and attacks, she knew instantly that she had greatly underestimated Eboshi. The woman moved like water, fast, fluent and completely unpredictable, making it impossible to decipher the pattern of her attacks, assuming she even had a pattern at all.

Then with absolutely no signal, no motion given to indicate the attack, the two women rushed at each other once again, their weapons poised for the kill. Eboshi suddenly stopped, slashed her blade upward and knocked San's dagger right out of her hand.

It had happened so quickly that San was thrown off balance. For a brief moment she caught a glimpse of Eboshi's sinister smile. Her dark eyes sudden widened and before she could even move a finger, felt the sharp sting of cold metal slicing through her side. She cried out in agony as she staggered to the ground, pressing her hands against the freshly opened wound that was leaking with blood. Through half blurry eyes she looked up and saw Eboshi looming over. There was a small assassins knife in her hand.

The gun-woman smirked arrogantly before slamming her sandaled foot into the young wolf-girl's stomach knocking every breath of air from her lungs.

San was thrown back several feet, scraping along the ground every inch of the way. Before she could even cough, the dozens of wild humans that had been watching the bout were suddenly upon her.

"No stop!" Alex thrashed and struggled madly under the weight of the two men who were holding him down to the ground. "Leave her alone, or I'll kill you!" The Princess Mononoke was now buried under what looked like half the population of Iron Town. Fists, feet, and wooden staves flailed as the enraged mob began to brutally beat and bludgeon every inch of her body. Even through all the laughter and shouting, Alex could just barley make out the girl's blood curdling screams.

'Oh God, they're beating her to death! he though, feeling the tears of rage and helplessness filling his eyes. And I can't do a goddamn thing to stop them!' He shook his head and continued to struggle, "Please just stop!" He screamed again.

"You're killing her, you heartless bastards!" As more tears streamed from his eyes, the young outlander felt the muscles in his body begin to throb and burn once again. "Stop…" he said, just above a whisper, closing his eyes tightly, trying to fight the incredible rippling from his wrist chain, spreading all over his body. "I'm warning you…" His body started to convulse and spasm, shaking him all over like an earthquake. The wrist chain's gem started to glow rapidly, until it started to glow bright and brighter. When the he could no longer hold the back the expanding pain, his eyes shot open and he thrust his face outward, "STOP!!!" His voice became alive with raw destructive power and at that moment, the barrier holding back his rage was shattered.

Suddenly, his whole right arm was encompassed in the black ooze film, and followed it was the gold band's metal encompassing it. After it had finally hardened, the armor was complete, showing that Alex's right arm was encased in a skin tight golden yellow armor. His shoulder was in a spherical shoulder guard. His bicep was covered in a golden yellow armor as well, but the line detailing his muscle was showing to be the black ooze. His forearm was three times bigger than ever, with two tusk blades stuck out from where the elbow was. His right hand was also armored in detail, almost looking cybernetic' the inside and the palm were both covered in the black ooze film armor, and the gem had fused into the right wrist, changing from red to a glowing topaz color. Connecting his shoulder to the chest, a horn shot up that was only one foot up. The right half of his chest was covered in the black ooze film; it was skin tight that it showed his muscles underneath, making it seem that he had no shirt on. It went from his neck as well, and also had armor on him that covered half of his right chest and back, making it look like he had a skin-tight vest on, and around his neck was a golden neck guard of sorts. The same glyph marks appeared under his eyes, and his right eye again, showed it had gone black, and the pupil gone golden yellow… like Nago's.

But this time, the curse had furthered, as of now. His whole upper body was covered in the black ooze film. And as before, the film was skin tight that it showed his muscles underneath, making it seem that he had no shirt on whatsoever. His left shoulder was armored in golden yellow armor shaped like a jacket shoulder, and on his forearm was a golden yellow armored armguard, as well as a left armored glove, similar to his right one, except it had five fingers and lacked the topaz gem. But it also had a horn connecting to his shoulder to the chest, and also, strangely, his hair had turned sandy orange, and had grown in the back a little reaching down to his neck.

It was clear, that the curse had gotten stronger, but only showed half of it now, due to Alex's anger boiling inside of him.

With his newfound strength grown even farther, Alex was able to lift himself up, despite the two men holding him down. And unlike himself, he snarled like a beast; he then lifted his foot up, and slammed into the ground with immense strength. And like an immense wave of devastating force, his power rolled through the street, uplifting the ground and smashing the sides of the houses. The power snaked its way towards and across the square striking the dense crowd of frenzying humans like a bolt of lightning.

As if a bomb had been set off, every man and woman was violently thrown into the air and away from the still form of the wolf-girl they were beating. Strangely enough, she was the only one the power had left untouched.

Nearly a thousand astonished eyes turned towards where the attack had originated and found Alex, halfway transformed, standing in front of the iron-works building, the two men who had been holding him down thrown both ways into the walls of the buildings in between the pathway he was in. The youth's eyes were now pitch black, white and pupil, and the irises were both golden yellow; his face now was completely devoid of emotion, except for a look of calm anger at now.

He took a step forward....then another.

As the seconds passed, memories of his first incident passed through his mind. Memories of having absolutely no control over his body; and memories of the helplessness he had felt against the entity that resided deep within the curse that plagued his body.

But this was different. There was still tremendous pain, but there was no helplessness. And most of all..... he also possessed control… and the most terrifying part for the future teenage boy, was that now… now that it was halfway out… he was starting to enjoy it. His mind willed the movement, but something else placed those movements into his body, carrying out that will. It was just like moving in a dream, as though each muscle and bone was tethered to an invisible string.

Alex moved towards the square, ignoring the townspeople that were staring at him. As his place slowly increased, a strange, sandy orange aura began to extend from behind his right shoulder. The aura churned and twisted in the air as though it were alive, branching out into almost like a scarf or a cape of some kind.

Gonza pushed himself through the crowd of stupefied townspeople and stepped in front of the dark-haired youth. "Traitor!" he growled, raising his sword, "I was right about you all along! You're a spy for the wolves. The guard-captain slashed.

With speed faster than the human eye could follow, Alex caught the blade with his right armored hand, and held it tightly. He then continued to walk forward, but as he did, he bent the blade Gonza held, while Gonza grit his teeth, "Get back! Halt!"

"Get out of my way," he said blankly before tossing the man trough the wall of a nearby house.

When he finally reached the young wolf-girl's motionless body, Alex knelt beside her once again. Her face was marked with several cuts and bruises as were her arms and legs, and he had noticed the bleeding wound on her right side. His hand went to her neck; the touch was gentle, seeing as how his strength, as well as the demonic entity inside him was somehow being controlled.

There was a pulse, which meant she was alive. And amazingly, after his half-transformation, the devoid coldness of his face softened and he gently lifted her from the ground and held her protectively. Alex just wanted to laugh, to cry out with joy and embrace the girl. But try as he did, there was nothing there; in this half-formed state, his every shred of emotion had been literally ripped from his heart and soul by the growing power of the curse, leaving nothing but hollow shells.

"It's a very touching scene," Eboshi said, moving closer to Alex, "The beautiful Princess Mononoke, being held lovingly in the arms of the mysterious outlander who possesses the power of the demons." She stopped and snickered, "It would bring a tear to my eyes if my eyes still had tears to shed."

Alex lifted his gaze from the unconscious girl in his arms and fixed it on Eboshi's sneering face. His golden yellow, glowing eyes were empty and cold. "I won't let you kill her," he said, "You… or that Ghost Princess, Yashahime."

"I'm sure she'll will make a lovely bride for you," the Iron Town Mistress replied. "However, I'm afraid that the people of this town may not share that sentiment." She took another step forward, "That wolf-girl and her wolves have killed many of my workers, forcing those who are still alive to live in constant fear. The fifty foot wall that surrounds this town is proof, wouldn't you agree, Alex?"

The young outlander shook his head slowly. And I wonder how that wall came to be, or why the Wolf Princess had to take so many lives," Alex just sighed as he stood up, his face still hidden, "Why couldn't you just have left the Forest alone… or at least tried to build a better Iron Town. One that lived in harmony with the Gods and the Spirits of the Forest?" His eyes narrowed becoming more alive, "All you seem to care about is the iron and the profits it makes. Greed has burned a hole in not only your heart, but everyone's in this town. You'll never have enough; you don't care what you have to do, or the lives you destroy in the process, including killing the Forest Spirit, Shisha Gami!" He looked down at the silent Princess Mononoke and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "This barley alive girl is proof, wouldn't you agree Eboshi?"

Eboshi's self composed expression slowly shifted into a look of disgusted shock, and her entire body quavered. "The moment I laid eyes on you, Alexander," she began. "I saw a piece of myself that I had long forgotten looking back at me," She then allowed a sad smile to spread across her face for only a second as she replied, "We're the same you and I. We're both monsters, cursed with sins that can never be atoned for."

"I'm nothing like you Eboshi," Alex retorted, "The only difference between us is that my demon's capable of being shown physically."

"Perhaps. But when I look at you now, holding the girl who lives only to slay me, I realize that unlike this town and its people, I will never be able to make you mine." The young woman took another step forward and raised her sword. "Forgive me, Alexander, but I'm getting bored of your curse now," she then drew out her other blade as she stated, "Let me just cut the damn thing off!" with that said, she thrusted the blade forward, only to have him dodge it.

And before she could retaliate, he slammed his fist hard into her gut. The force of impact caused the wind to get blown out of her, and she slumped into Alex's arm, completely unconscious.

"Milady!" several women cried out as they rushed towards their fallen mistress, like a group of mothers coming to the aid of an injured infant. A few others stood around her protectively, clutching their staves tightly.

Alex ignored the women's hateful glares and slowly rose to his feet, as he now scooped up the Princess Mononoke, and held her in his arms. The scene almost looked like a part in a story; where the dashing armored prince held the princess tightly but gently in his arms, laying down his life to protect hers, "I'm leaving now," he called out, "and I'm taking the wolf-girl with me."

"Oh, no you're not!" a woman suddenly jumped out from the crowd of astonished townspeople and stood in Alex's path. A match-lock rifle was resting on her shoulder, its muzzle aimed at the youth's heart, "No one treats my Lady Eboshi like that and just walks away!" her arms were shaking as was her entire body, "I won't let an outlander like you humiliate her, I won't let you!"

The dark-haired youth stopped and stared at the woman; he didn't even bat an eyelid at this scene. Alex just stood there, staring at the woman, until he started walking again, drawing closer to her, "S-Stop!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes, "Stop or I'll shoot!" but he didn't stop, I mean it. Outlander! Don't come any closer! She closed her eyes and press her fingers against the rifle's trigger mechanism.

When she open her eyes again, Alex had walked right past her. She immediately turned around to aim right at him. But she just froze, the gun shaking in her hands as she tried to shoot him. But that changed as soon as one of the woman, who was concerned for her friend, spoke up, "Kiko, what are you doing?"

However, the woman named Kiko had become startled by that, causing her to accidentally pull the trigger. The rifle fired right at Alex, almost about to hit where his heart was. But in the blink of an eye, Alex turned around, and caught the iron ball… with his left hand.

This sight both frightened and amazed the people, even the woman who had shot the bullet. She fell to her knees, at both from being startled by her shot, and from seeing the outlander catch the bullet with his hands, and not have it blown off.

It was just then, Alex's expression finally softened as he looked to her and the people, "I know that you've suffered greatly during this war of yours," he said, "And I can understand why you hold such strong loyalty towards your Lady," He locked eyes with the trembling woman, his voice taking on a more forceful tone, "But until I find a way to lift this curse of mine, I'll protect myself anyway I can.....as will the curse itself…" and then he turned around, as he spoke up once again, "So please, for the love of God... don't fire that rifle again," and with those words, he walked away.

Gonza was finally getting up from the hole that he was flung into. As he groaned and regained his footing, he looked to see the outlander, walking past him. Seeing the boy nearly made Gonza cringe in his loin underwear, but that wasn't the time. He ran over to where he saw his Mistress unconscious. He stopped as he asked the guards that were present, "Is she alright?"

"Yessir, she's only stunned."

Gonza snarled as he ordered out, "Someone bring me my rifle!" he then ordered, "Riflemen to the gate now; on the double!" as soon as the men rushed with the riflemen, Gonza snarled, "They're not getting out of here alive!"

Near the Iron Works building, one of the women peered out and spotted someone approaching from the shadows. "Toki! Come here," she called out, and soon after, Toki and two of the women carrying spears rushed to the entrance.

The women saw the figure approaching from the shadows. And then walking into the light, Toki could see it was the outlander, Alex, and in his arms was the Wolf Princess, unconscious and the first time that anyone saw her, peacefully asleep.

"What happened, Alex?" Toki asked, but soon spotted the bizarre armor, as well as the eye and hair change. He just simply walked past them, without even saying a word.

* * *

**The Front Gate **

* * *

Minutes passed before he was finally at the compound's entry gate where a group of musket armed riflemen were waiting for him. And nearly half the town was there as well, including Shizu and the rest of the men and women. From the looks of everyone's faces, they were either confused, amazed, or too terrified of the boy's half-transformation. The fires crackled and lit up the place as the boy carrying the Wolf Princess made his way towards the gate. The youth stopped just a few steps in front of them and let his black and yellow demonic eyes rest on the five masked faces staring back at him. 

"Open the gate," he ordered.

"I'm sorry, young sir," one of the riflemen replied, "But the gate has been ordered sealed. Only Captain Gonza or Lady Eboshi herself can retract that order."

"Turn back please," one of them pleaded, not wanting to start a fight with this boy. Nobody wanted to fight a young man who could command such power, power that could start earthquakes with his feet, who could bend swords with just his hand, and who could catch one of their iron bullets with his own hands.

Another riflemen approached the dark-haired youth, "We're all very grateful to you for bringing our comrade back to us. If you give us the wolf-girl and stand down I'm sure that they'll spare your life. Please young sir, don't make us kill you!"

"I walked through this gate on my own two feet," Alex replied. "… and I'll walk out the very same way." He narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. focusing them on the large gate before him. He gently put the Princess Mononoke down beside him, and stood up as he put his right hand on the door.

"Don't be foolish, lad," Shizu shouted, "It takes ten men to open this gate."

But Alex didn't care as he began to push at the door. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he pushed with the strength that he had at the moment. But it wasn't enough for him as he dug deep into himself, commanding the curse inside him to give him more power than it had given him already. As he continued to push forward, blood began to trickle from the young outlander's mouth and nose and his breathing became fatigued. His entire head was swimming in pain, but that didn't matter to him at this point… all that mattered was getting the Wolf Princess out of there and treating her as soon as possible.

"Stop it!" the riflemen shouted, clutching Alex's shoulder, "You're going to kill yourself, you lunatic!

Alex just ignored the man's pleads and continued to push his power to its limit until it was as sharp as a freshly cut diamond. And then with a final agonized low growl, the gate slowly began to lift off the ground, rumbling and creaking every inch of the way until it was high enough to allow him access. As this was done, the villagers were all in shock at this. Even as Gonza and the riflemen that were with him trailed to stop him from leaving, the villagers still stood in amazement.

As they were amazed, they didn't notice the dark and large shape that ran on the rooftop.

When he finally forced the gate open, and used one of the logs that were left on the ground to hold it up, the youth stood silently, swooning sleepily and seemingly only half aware of reality. But nevertheless, he knelt down and gently scooped up the Wolf Princess; his gentle hold on the girl in his arms remained unchanged. A loud roaring noise suddenly brought him to a more stable state of consciousness.

Isaac, now in his ubber large form, leaped out from the rooftops and landed right in between Alex and Gonza. In his teeth, was Alex's supply sack as all he did was roar aloud through his teeth.

Gonza gulped as he shouted, "The Wolves are attacking!" he reached into his pouch but found that he didn't have a flint with him to fire his rifle, "Where… ?" he looked to his men and ordered, "Flint!"

Wasting not even a second, the giant fox-squirrel quickly made his way towards the now open gate and stood at Alex's side. He noticed Alex's hafl-armor state as he asked, "Did I miss anything?"

With all his power and control, Nathan forced his mouth into a slight smile as he looked down at his Fox-Squirrel friend, "Not much, I'm afraid," he then said with strained difficulty, "Le's get outta here,"

These words were said with strain and difficulty, for the words had not originated from his half-demon possessed mind, but from what little remained of his heart. He reached out and stepped forwards out the gate, along with Isaac, and as they were out in the open night, he grabbed the pillar that held the gate open.

When he and Isaac were a few steps beyond the Iron Town barrier he stopped for a moment. "If anyone follows us… " He tilted his head over his shoulder and let the watching men and women gaze into his lifeless eyes glowed yellow, "… I will kill them." But then he let out a sad smile as he said to them all, "However… you have my thanks for putting up with me and Isaac," He then released his invisible hold on the gate, letting it close with a rumbling slam that echoed through the valley.

The villagers all stood there, both in shock and amazement at the lad's power and curse. Then, the only one who spoke out, was Shizu as he calmly stated, "Good luck, stranger."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Words of Hate and Acts of Love; An Unlikely Friendship**

* * *


	13. Word of Hate Acts of Love

**Disclaimer: Just a quick note, Someisa is the creation of N'jara. But this is sort of a reinvention of him, so don't take any offense about it, please.**

* * *

**Legendary Adventuerers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Words of Hate and Acts of Love; An Unlikely Friendship**

* * *

**Far from Iron Town**

**Deep within The Forest**

* * *

The moment San regained consciousness, her entire body cried out in pain. Every inch of her skin felt like one, huge bruise and the muscles in her limbs and chest ached like nothing she had ever experienced before. She fought the urge to scream. "Am I…" she whispered painfully, "Am I dead?"

"Not on my watch," came a soft voice from somewhere to the wolf-girl's left. She cringed slightly when she felt a damp cloth being placed on her burning forehead, "It's alright," the voice came again, "It's over now, you're going to be okay."

San's mind churned and stirred in her throbbing head like water. There was a sound of crackling fire not too far away, as well as the aroma of something cooking. When the smell of food touched her nose her stomached growled with hunger. She lifted her head a few inches from off the pile of soft leaves and dirt she had been laying in and slowly opened her eyes. As soon as her eyes were open, a painful glare blazed into them, forcing them shut once again.

Just take it easy," the voice came again. So familiar, and yet so alien all at once, "You got banged around pretty badly back there."

"Back there…' San's mind tried to concentrate through the haziness as she forced her memory to function.

But no matter how hard she pushed, all she could remember were a few fragments of what had happened before she had blacked out. Breaking into the human's Iron-Town......jumping from one roof top to another......fighting the Eboshi woman......being nearly beaten to death.......and something else.......something she just couldn't focus on enough to understand.

In fact, most of her memories of the events that had occurred back at the human compound all seemed like a giant blur. It made her already soar head hurt even more just thinking about it.

The young wolf-girl frowned irritably, '_Stop acting so weak!' _she shouted in her mind, '_Remember, you're a wolf, not some weakling hum.......an..…' _It was then that San realized that the voice had belonged to a human. She..... was with a human! Forcing the agony in her body aside, she pushed herself onto her elbows and opened her eyes once again. She felt her blood chill when she saw the two blue eyes staring right back at her. 

"You!" she growled.

Sitting just a few feet way, leaning against a large root of a giant tree, was the human she had encountered back at the river. The same human she had almost killed during her assault on the Iron-Town... the same human who had interfered with her attack, ruining everything.

Unable to fight her instincts and compulsive nature, San tried to jump out of the bed of leaves. Sharp pain shot through her leg causing her to stumble onto her back. She then kicked and pushed at the ground furiously in a frantic attempt to put as much distance between her and the human as possible. She scrambled along the ground until she was pressed against the trunk of a tree. It was then that she noticed her side for a moment; a small patch was bound to her side from under her clothing.

"What… ?" she looked confused by this, and then snarled at the human, "What did you do to me?"

"I treated and bandaged the wound on your side. It shouldn't leave any scarring; the cut wasn't as serious as I thought, but left untreated, it would have been infected," Alex explained as he turned to her direction, "I'm glad that you can still move," the dark-haired human said smiling, "For a moment, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it or not." He turned towards the burning fire and slowly rotated what looked like a small rodent on a skewer, "You're very lucky to be alive."

San could only glare at him. All her rage and hatred towards humans seemed to increase and converge the longer she looked at the young human in front of her. "Where are we?" she shouted, "What did you do to me!?"

Alex shook his head raised his arm slowly. "Just calm down," he said. I just got finished patching you up after that insane suicide stunt you pulled, and to be quite honest, I really don't feel like doing it again. He then crossed his arms across his chest, "And to answer your first question, I have absolutely no idea where the hell we are.



"Why did you bring me here? What do you want with me?"

The human shrugged, "Man, you're just chocked-full of questions, aren't you?" he said, "But if your curious little mind just has to know, I brought you here so I could help you stay alive. You took a pretty nasty beating after all, you now."

San's expression just seemed to darken even more, "I don't need your help, human!" she retorted, "You shouldn't have gotten involved; it had nothing to do with you!"

"True. But then again, if I had just stood by and let those maniacs kill you…" he shook his head as he simply stated, "Well, I just couldn't let them kill you. Pure and simple. Plus, a doctor/nurse helps everyone, good or evil, human or beast."

"Oh I see, now," San said with a scrutinizing tone, as she continued to glare at him, "You went through all that trouble to help me, simply so you could avoid years of self-loathing." She sniffed at the air, continuing her glare, "You human's are so predictable at times it makes me sick just thinking about it."

"In that case, I suppose I shouldn't expect a 'thank you' anytime soon, should I?" Alex said, as he scooted closer to San with a bowl of steaming water and a tattered piece of cloth.

"Oh, is that all you wanted, human?" San replied coldly, "For a moment, I was sure you were going to ask me to get on my hands and knees and position myself before you."

The statement made the human freeze, and he stared at San with a look of shock and disgust, "Please tell me you're joking, right?" he asked, "I know you didn't just say what I thought you said, because if you did… " he shuddered, "...you've got a really sick mind."

San saw the youth's reddening cheeks, and could immediately tell that her comment had made him very agitated. To this she couldn't help but smirk, "I'm actually surprised," she said leaning forward and resting her cheek against her knuckle. "From what I've heard, mating is the one thing that most humans males ever think about. Why should I believe that you're any different?"

"Well, for starters…" the human replied, "I'm not like most human males."

The young wolf-girl shook her head. "I doubt that." she then noticed the wound on her arm, and without a second thought, she slowly began to lick at the wound.

Now it was Alex's turn to be irritated, "Do you think it would be at all possible to give the cold-hearted treatment a rest already?" he asked, "It's really getting old…" he then noticed the Wolf Girl licking her arm in an attempt to clean it, "Hey, don't do that. It'll just make it worse for all you know," He moved closer to the girl and sat in front of her, "Here, let me see your arm," He reached out towards her left arm.

When she saw the hand nearing her, San once again went to instinctive reflex and swatted it away. "Get away from me!" she shouted, her eyes burning with rage, "If you so much as touch me again, human, I swear that I'll… "

"That you'll rip the tubes from my throat," The human finished for her, "I know, I know. I've heard this threat already." He sat back and gave the girl a glacial look, piercing her dark, chestnut eyes. "Listen, wolf-princess," he continued, not breaking eye-contact with her. "I know you think humans are nothing but evil creatures. I'd be willing to agree with you most of the time!" He leaned forward, bringing his face closer to San's "But I'm not 'humans'. A human, yes, but 'humans', no."

"It doesn't make any difference," San shot back looking away, "As long as you're a human, your just as evil as the rest of them…"

"OH! Playin' the species card, is it!?" The human shouted, causing San to flinch with mild shock, "Look, I'm sorry about what those people in Iron Town are doing to this forest. Believe me, I am; if anything, I love this forest more than anything. I've traveled for what feels like a month in this land, and everywhere I go, I see forests that were never touched by destruction and death," he then gave the Wolf Girl a heartfelt look in his face and eyes as he honestly spoke up, "It makes me happy to see such beauty. And it makes me sick when I see all the damage they've done," and then he got angry again as he shot out, "But don't take the whole thing out on me! I have my own problems to worry about without having someone else's pinned on me."

The youth's words burned into San's like fiery projectiles that had been shot from a human's musket. Though she really hated to admit it, the young human... did have a point. He did selflessly come to her aid during her assault, which was probably the main reason why she was still alive.

Perhaps she was being unfair to him, perhaps not; she really didn't know at this time. All she knew, was that despite the fact he was a human, and she had been taught to hate humans in all size and form, this stranger, this outlander before her really didn't seem to be all that much of a threat.

And there was something else that she didn't quite seem to understand. Something that just kept gnawing at her stomach whenever she looked into his eyes "I'm… " she began, feeling as though the next word she was about say would make her vomit. The questioning look on the human's fair-skinned face didn't make matters all that easier, "...I'm sorry."

"Huh?" he human raised an eyebrow, "You're sorry?"

San nodded, a slightly defeated expression on her young face, but she didn't show it to him as she lowered her gaze, "Yes, human. I'm sorry," With that, she trust her arm towards him and gave him a cold glare, "Just do what you will, it doesn't make any difference to me." She couldn't help but flinch when she felt the young human's fingers gently touch a spot on her arm that was tender from her injuries.

"Alright, just hold still. This may sting a little," he said as he dipped the tattered cloth into the hot water. He then set the cloth on the large bruise that covered San's arm.

San yelped as the hot water from the cloth touched her sensitive skin, and she fought the urge to pull away and bite off one of the human's ears. But the pain only lasted for a moment, and was immediately replaced by the soothing feeling of the cloth gently being stroked along the injury.

As Alex began to clean her wounds, not once did the Wolf Princess take her eyes of the human. The human that was tending to her as a mother wolf would tend to its injured cub. 'It just doesn't make any sense,' she though to herself as her eyes studied the human's face, 'Human's are selfish, greedy, and destructive creatures, who only care about themselves,' She furrowed her eyebrows and she fidgeted with a piece of her dress. 'Why is this one so concerned about me? After all, I did threaten to kill him.'

"Does it still hurt?" the human asked.

San wrenched herself from her thoughts and stared at him, "What?"

"I said, does it still hurt?" Alex asked as he pointed to her arm, "The wounds, I mean."

She shook her head, "No… it's… it's alright now," She glanced at his face for a moment, then quickly looked away, "Thank you."

The young human nodded and began to wrap the strip of cloth around San's arm.

For what almost seemed like an eternity, San watched him tend to her arm, not really carrying about anything else. After a long span of silence had passed between them she finally spoke again. "Alex," she said quietly.

Nathan looked up from the arm he was tending to and stared at the young wolf-girl. What did you say?

"Alex," she repeated, "You said your name was Alex, right?

To this, Alex couldn't help be grin, "Yeah," he replied, "I'm surprised you remembered it." He then tied the cloth into a tight knot, securing it to San's arm, "And what's your name."

San froze for a moment and thought quickly, "Why should I have to tell you?"

"Well," Alex replied, "I think since we're speaking to each other now, we should at least be on a first name basis. It'd be a lot easier to call you something other than 'Princess Mononoke' or 'Wolf-Girl'," He gave her a lop-sided smile, emphasizing the boyish side of his personality.

San felt like hitting her head against the side of a rock. Never before had she told anyone her human name. Other than her brothers and her mother, not a single living creature knew it. And now she had trapped herself into a position where she would either have to tell this human her name, or think up a lie to avoid it altogether. And lying was one of the few things that could damage a wolf's honor.

She paused for another moment then wet her lips to speak. "It's San," she said just above a whisper.

"San?" Alex asked. The girl nodded, "San," he repeated feeling every letter roll off his tongue. "I like that. It's a very pretty name." He then tilted his head towards the sleeping fox-squirrel that had made a bed out his jacket, "And that lazy lump of fur over there is Isaac, or Isaku. He's basically a forest spirit, turned traveling companion."

After hearing that, Isaac shot awake, shouting comically at Alex, "DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

San raised an eyebrow when she finally noticed the small animal, "He's a Forest Spirit?

Alex shrugged, "Yeah, I know. It's hard to believe something that small is a Forest Spirit. Let alone, he's the only one in this time zone that didn't try to kill me. He basically sold himself to me, and now I can't seem to get rid of him."

"Hey, you're lucky I stay with you at all, Alex," Isaac barked out, "Without me you'd be lost in this forest, let alone if it weren't for me, the Wolf Princess here, along with her brothers, would've gutted you in an instant."

San peered over at the fox-squirrel once more, "I find that very strange," she said.

"How so?"

"Many reasons," the young wolf-girl replied. "But mainly because it just seems odd that any type of animal, let alone a forest spirit, would stay with a human willingly."

"That's true," Alex said, "But like I said before, I'm not like most other humans," San didn't reply, but continued to watch Isaac as he scampered over to Alex. "Are you hungry?" he then asked.

San hesitated for a second then nodded quietly. At the moment she was far too hungry to refuse food, even if it was being offered by a human.

Alex picked up the stick that the roasted little animal was impaled on and handed it to San's awaiting hand. "I don't know how tasty this thing is but ju…"

As soon as the stick was in her grasp, the young wolf-girl opened her mouth and proceeded to devour the food. Her teeth worked the cooked meat like a blender, tearing off one chunk after another.

Isaac gulped at this, "She's as nasty as Moro."

"Just help yourself," Alex finished, watching the girl as she ravaged what little remained of the roasted creature on the stick, scarfing, and gnashing as though it had been a whole week since she had eaten anything. _Man, _he thought to himself, 'This girl has worse table manners than mark does.'

When San finished the last bit of her meal, she handed the stick back to Alex and wiped away a few bits and pieces of meat that she had gotten on her face. "Thank you," she said, after swallowing her last mouthful.

"You're quite welcome," Alex replied. "Will that hold you over for awhile?"

"Yes, it should," the young wolf-girl answered simply. She then tilted her head to one side and peered at the human sitting across from her, "Aren't you going to be hungry?"

The dark-haired youth shook his head, "I'm really not that hungry," he replied. 'And watching you eat took away what little appetite I already had.' A strange looking smile then crossed her face, "I just realized something."

"What?"

"You haven't glared, scowled or threatened me once for the past five minutes. And I haven't made a single sarcastic remark towards you," Alex couldn't help but laugh at such a realization, "Maybe this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between us."

"Don't put too much faith in that, human," San replied, but not nearly as viciously as she had been in their past confrontations. "I still don't trust you."

Alex raised both hands and looked at the girl innocently, "As long as you're not trying to slice me down the middle and rip my guts out, I'm perfectly happy." He then stood and began walking towards the trees, "Now if you'll kindly excuse me."

"Where are you going?" San called out.

"Nature calls," he answered.

San looked at Alex quizzically, and looked around until she looked right back at him, "I don't hear anything. What do you mean 'nature calls'?"

The young outlander gave her a blank look, "Uh, let me rephrase that," he said, "You were raised by wolves right?"

"Yes."

"And being raised by wolves, I assume you know how wolves mark their territory, right?"

San's eyebrows furrowed and she continued to look at Alex curiously, " ...yes," she slowly said again.

"Well, let's just say that I'm going off to find some territory to mark."

The young wolf-girl stared at Alex, until she finally got it. She went wide eyed by that as she blushed, "Oh," she finally said.

"Yeah," said, "So, can I trust you enough not to run off while I'm gone?

San snuffed loudly and looked at her various injuries, "Unfortunately, I can't really do much of anything at the moment." She then looked up and gave Alex a wry half smile that just reeked with sarcasm, "But I can't promise that I won't try."

Alex laughed, "No, I guess you can't," He lifted his gaze to the sleeping fox-squirrel, "Hey, Isaac," he called out.

The little fox-squirrel stirred for a moment before finally awakening. When his two green eyes turned to Alex, he gave him a rather irritated look, "No, I won't join you in a peeing contest."

"Do me a favor and watch Jungle-Jane over there, would you?" When the young outlander saw the contempt in his furry companion's face, he sighed and tilted his head to one side, "If you do I'll make you a whole bunch of those char-broiled moles you love so much." The fox'-squirrels expression remained unchanged, "And I'll scratch that spot behind your ear just the way you like it."

Isaac thought about the offers, then yipped in agreement, "You can count on me, Future Boy." and gave Alex a little salute with his right front paw.

"You drive a hard bargain, Isaac," said Alex, as he reached over and picked up his jacket, "And I expect you to hold up on your end of that bargain," As he carried the heavy piece of clothing, he turned around and made his way towards the trees once more.

"Wait!" San shouted.

"What?" Alex snapped spinning around to meet San's questioning stare, "I'm gonna burst open any minute here! I really gotta go, or I'll bust my kidneys."

"You talked to this Fox-Squirrel as though you were talking to another human." She glanced at Isaac, then back at Nathan, "How?"

The dark-haired youth smiled warmly, "I told you, me and the fuzzball are companions. We kind of have a Timmy and Lassy, Turner and Hooch sorta' thing going on. Plus, he says he's a spirit, so I'm inclining to believe he's not an ordinary Fox-Squirrel."

"I'd say we're more of a Monkey and Dog thing," Isaac retorted, but went completely ignored by the two.

"But how? No other humans I've encountered have been able to do that."

Alex rolled his eyes and sighed dejectedly. "Don't take this personally, San," he said, "But for someone who was supposedly raised in the forest by a pack of wolves, you sure ask a lot of questions."

San couldn't help but feel embarrassed when Alex said that, and she looked down at the ground in an attempt to hide the blush of her cheeks.

"But if you really want to know," Alex continued, putting his jacket on as he was about to go into the bushes, "It's probably because I'm really the only other human besides yourself who's actually tried," he just smirked, seeing the confused look on her face, "Now if you'll excuse me once again." For the third time, the youth turned around and began walking towards the trees.

"But I'm not a human!" San shouted, "I'm a Wolf!"

"At the moment, I really don't care," Alex retorted halfheartedly, not turning around this time, "Heck, you can say you're a cheese-sandwich for all I care." When his last words were spoken, he disappeared into the shadows.

San watched Alex leave with a look of utter dismay. Most humans she encountered would be trembling in horror if she had been this close to them. But this human... the human simply known as Alex, just didn't seem afraid of her at all. It was almost as f he saw her as a human, and didn't fear her at all. That really annoyed her.

With a loud yawn she brushed the thoughts away and slowly moved closer to the warm fire. 'It doesn't really matter,' she thought to herself. 'When morning finally comes, I'll just slip away and leave him behind like a bad memory.' When she sat down on her crossed legs she looked over at Alex's so-called 'companion' who was watching her every movement. "I don't know why you stay with him," she said.

Isaac just continued to watch the young wolf-girl. A clever looking grin on his face, and didn't say a word.

"But I suppose you have your reasons." Sighing, San lowered herself onto the pile of leaves and tucked her arms and legs into the folds of her cloak of white fur. As she rested her head against her cupped hands she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. "Stupid human," she whispered. A faint sound of crunching leaves suddenly pricked her ears. She sat up and looked about the small camp. Alex? she asked, he eyes darting from one corner of the area to another?

Isaac, having heard the sounds as well, sniffed at the air. His eyes suddenly narrowed and he began to growl. "That's not Alex's scent," Isaac growled, the fur on his back standing on end.

San too sniffed the air, and knew the fox-squirrel was right. Whatever it was that was out there it definitely was not Alex. When she sniffed again, she realized that it wasn't even a human. And there was more than just one. Sensing the danger, the young wolf-girl sprung to her feet and twisted around, looking frantically for whatever may be watching her.

That was when the sounds started up again. This time it was coming from all directions, including from high above in the trees. The sounds grew louder with every passing second.

When San heard Isaac's growling and barking become more intense, she glanced down at him and saw that he was looking at something at the far end of the camp. Lifting her head slowly, the young wolf-girl looked to the shadows that lay beyond the light created by the fire and saw what it was that had the little fox-squirrel so agitated.

Staring back at her was a pair of blood red eyes, poking through the dark bleakness of the night like two fiery embers. Another pair suddenly appeared, then another, and another. Within a matter of seconds, the entire camp was surrounded by a wall of the glowing red eyes.

The sight made San's hair to stand on end like the fur of a cat. "You!" she growled, reaching for her dagger. It was only then that she realized that she had lost her dagger during the her unsuccessful bout with the damned Eboshi-woman. Before she could think of an alternative means of defense, a heavy stone smacked against the back of her head, knocking her senseless and sending her sprawling to the ground.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later**

* * *

After accomplishing what he had wandered out here to do, Alex gave off a loud sigh of relief as he walked back towards the camp. 'Free and easy,' he thought to himself with a wide smile and buried his hands in his pockets. 'Just the way I like it.'

He stopped for a moment and looked up at the starry sky that gleamed through a small gap in the forest's thick canopy. As he looked up at the tiny little dots of light that decorated the black blanket of the heavens, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. With all the things that had been happening over the past few weeks, finding the time to just able to think absentmindedly without a single worry or care had become a true rarity for him.

But for someone like Alex, being without a worry or care would be like a snail without its shell. That was just the way his life worked, at least most of the time when he's not helping his dad with the clinic, or when he's helping his sister. He didn't like it, but for the time being, he was managing to live with it without giving it much notice.

The sound of Isaac's barking suddenly snapped him out of his dreamlike trance. "What the… ?" he said to himself as he looked towards the fire-lit camp many yards away. When the barking grew more intense he knew instantly that something was wrong. 'Oh, crap…' he thought, and began running towards the camp, leaping over narrow creeks, logs, and thick roots that were sticking up from out of the ground. 'I turn by my back on the crazy girl for a few minutes and this happens!'

When he finally returned to the small camp, he found that both San and Isaac were nowhere to be seen. It was as thought the girl and the fox-squirrel had just vanished. "San!" he called out, "Come on this isn't funny, answer me!"

He called the wolf-girl's name a few more times before finally giving up, "What the heck's going on?" he asked himself, while he looked about the area. He could feel his quickly chilling blood pumping through his fear-choked heart when his eyes came to rest on the strange foot prints that had been left in the dirt. 'Did something come and drag them off?' He looked about the camp on more time. 'No. There'd be blood all over the place.'

An obscure shape suddenly leapt form out of nowhere and grabbed Alex by the neck, forcing him to the ground. As he struggled to shake the thing from his neck, his arms were suddenly grabbed and pushed into the dirt by two pairs of hairy hands. His legs soon followed.

"Get off me!" the young outlander screamed, trying to struggle his way out of the assault. But all his efforts were in vain.

"The more human struggles, the more human shall hurt," came a basso voice that rumbled with a forbidding resonance.

Alex jerked the hands that held his head to the ground and looked towards the source of the terrible voice. What he found was what could only be described as large, shadowy figure crouching at his feet. A pair of hellish-red eyes were glaring at him, "Who… or what the hell are you?"

The shadow began to crawl its way over Alex's body with the same casualness that one would have when walking on the ground. "We are brothers of forest!" it rumbled, "Brothers that humans turned back on!" When it reached the youth's chest it reached out with a hair-covered arm and wrapped it fingers around his face, squeezing it tightly. 

"Humans kill forest!" it squeezed tighter, "Forest grow weak. Brothers grow weak. All because of humans!"

It was then that Alex realized that the appendage that was clutching his face was not the figure's hand at all. It was the it's foot! His eyes looked up to make eye contact with his assailant and found himself frozen in a state absolute horror. For looking back at him was a grotesque face of simian origin. It's large mouth, filled with bone crushing molars, and finger length fangs, twisted and scowled with a frighteningly human expression.

Alex's eyes widened when he realized that this monkey-creature sitting on top of his chest, had been _talking _to him! This thing actually had the ability to talk! "What… " the youth began, feeling his entire body trembling in fear. "Just… what… are you?" He cringed when the monkey-creature's foot' shoved his head back onto the ground.

"We," the monkey-creature began, it's voice writhing in hatred and spite, "… are ape!" It released its grip on Alex's face and took a few steps back. "Many years go by, humans kill apes! Destroy ape's forests! Make apes weak." It lifted its arm above his head. In its grasp was a thick piece of a broken branch that it held like a weapon. "Now, after many years passed, apes shall finally kill human!"

Alex tried to scream, but the ape's weapon came down on his head so hard that it knocked him senseless before the scream could reach his mouth. The dark-haired youth could just barely make out the ape's sneering faces before finally slipping out of conciseness.

As the group of apes laughed and hollered victoriously over their prize, More and more of their simian comrades bound from out of the shadows and crowed around the still human's form, pawing and probing him like a piece of ripe fruit. When nearly a dozen apes had come out of hiding, each one grabbed a handful of the human's clothing and began dragging him off towards the trees, taking him deeper into the shadowy depths of the forest.

Not once did they notice the small fox who was watching them from behind the shelter of a nearby bush.

* * *

**Elsewhere in the Forest**

**Moro's Cave**

* * *

The moon shined brightly over the formation of rocks that served as the home of Moro and her clan. For a long time, the old Wolf-God sat motionless along the overhanging rock that stretched over the forest far bellow. The rock that served as her thrown of power and dominion over the lands.

Her reddish eyes gazed out towards the blackness of night that blanketed the horizon, waiting for the first sign of the dawn's twilight to peak over the mountains. Her white coat seemed to shimmer under in the moonlight, each strand of fur radiating like precious stones. 'San... ' she said silently, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness as the name of her daughter flashed through her mind.

Never before had Moro felt this angry at her adopted daughter's rashness. Those few times in the past when the young wolf-girl had been disobedient towards her all seemed to diminish in light of this latest act of defiance.

'How could she have been so careless?' Moro asked herself. 'How could she have been so naive to believe that she could kill the Gun-Woman on her own grounds? Did she honestly believe the humans would just let her invade their dwelling and let her kill their master?'

Angry no longer seemed to describe how the Wolf-God felt. She was Furious now. It made the wound in her shoulder that had been inflicted by the gun-woman's bullet throb painfully. 'I would have thought that I had taught you better than that, San.' She suddenly felt the presence of another wolf behind her. "I know what you are going to ask, Kiba," she said aloud.

"I wish to ask you anyway, Mother," the smaller, but very large wolf replied.

"You already know my answer," Moro growled. "… and It is _not _up for negotiation!"

"Please Mother," her cub pleaded to his mother, "San may be in danger!"

"Then it will be her danger to deal with. The girl is old enough to fend for herself."

"But Mother," Tsume joined in, "What if she's been captured? Or mortally wounded? She could be dying as speak! Are you just going to stand by and let her die?"

"Enough!" Moro thundered, twisting around to glare at her two cubs, "San chose to fight the humans alone! We will not interfere, nor will we give her aid! We shall wait and honor her decision, however foolish it may have be." Her large eyes narrowed, "And if she is killed......_that _will be the price she pays for her recklessness! Now speak no more of this!"

With another growl, the old Wolf-God returned her gaze to the night sky. As she listened to the two other wolves return to their cave, she could not help but feel a sense of self-loathing creep over her. 'Please San.......stay alive.'

* * *

  

**Meanwhile **

**Elsewhere in the Forest**

* * *

Alex groaned painfully as he slowly awoke, his head feeling as though someone had thrown it into the seat of one really wild theme-park ride. "Crap," he said to himself, wincing in pain, "I thought waking up after 48 hours of clinic work was bad enough."

He blinked his eyes a few times to clear the blurriness out of his vision. When he tried to reach a hand up to his head in an attempt to sooth the pain in his temple, he suddenly realized that he couldn't even move. He was tied from head to toe in what felt like a web of iron cables. Cables that were made out of vines.

When a gust of wind brushed passed him, he suddenly realized to his absolute horror that his prized leather jacket was no longer draped over him, or tied around his waist. Someone had touched his Jacket. His Jacket!

To make matters all the more bizarre, not only was the youth tied up to the point were he was completely immobile, and missing one favorite leather jacket, he was also hanging upside down from a vine that was wrapped around his ankles. "What the heck is this?" he said wriggling like a hooked worm, "Hey! he then shouted, "Get me down from here, you stupid apes, or I'll kick your butts!" Alex began to shake and struggle wildly against his binds, growling with frustration with his every failed attempt. "You hear me? I'm not joking, you know! I'm gonna get angry; you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!" When several minutes passed without a single trace of response, the young outlander huffed loudly, "Criminy! Do you have any idea how much this sucks?"

"Dot you ever stop talking?" A familiar voice chided him from behind.

"San?" Alex replied, twisting his body around so he could face the young wolf-girl. When he was finally facing her upside-down image, he found that she was sitting in a uncomfortably cramped looking cage of bamboo and tree branches. The youth gave her a half-smile, "Hey, how's it going?" he asked.

The young wolf-girl frowned and crossed her arms, "Do you really have to ask?" she retorted bitterly, "While you were off dozing like a little infant, I've been trapped in this damn cage!" she lashed out with her foot and kicked the wooden bars. "Are you normally this stupid or do you have to strain yourself."

Alex shot back sarcastically, "Stop it, that really is just too much. What do you have to complain about? At least you don't have be in a position where every drop of your blood is rushing to your head!" he groaned as he felt a real head rush hitting him, "Do you have any idea how much this hurts? My brain feels like a bowling ball! And they took my Jacket too, those stinkin' apes!

"Oh will you shut up already?" San shouted, "You're about as irritating as a skin-rash."

"Yeah, I love you too."

San suddenly jumped forward and stared at the upside-down human; a hint of rose red glowed on her cheeks for a moment, until she shouted, "Who the hell said that I loved you?"

"It's just a figure of speech, San!" Alex said dejectedly, "Will you just lighten up for a few minutes? Considering the situation that we're both in, it would sure make things a hellova lot more easier to deal with."

San snuffed loudly and sat back down. "Fine," she said, "Just don't presume that I have, in the least way, any sort of fondness for you."

"Fine, I'll make note of it when I can move my arms again," For several long moments of silence, the two of them remained as they were. Alex then licked his lips and began to speak again. "San," he called out.

There was a bit of a pause before the young wolf-girl finally answered, "What is it?"

Just what the hell is going on here? Alex asked, "Last time I checked, you and Isaac went missing, and then I get decked by a talking ape."

"I really don't know," San answered., "I don't have much memory of what happened. When I woke up, the inside of this cage was the first thing I saw."

"What about Isaac?" Alex asked, "What happened to him?" He swallowed hard, almost afraid to ask his next question, "Did they get him too?"

"I don't know," She repeated as she rubbed a tender spot on the back of her head, moaning quietly from the sharp pain. "All I remember is that something struck my head."

Same goes for me, too. Except I already know it was a talking ape, or maybe someone dressed like an ape," Alex replied. Now all we have left to answer is who, why, when and where."

San shook her head and leaned her head against the bars of her cage. Now may I ask you a question? she said.

Alex sighed dejectedly, "Fine, be my guest."

"When you hear yourself talk, does it actually make sense to you?"

There was a long pause before Alex finally answered the question. "More or less. It all kinda depends on the mood I get myself in. At least when I talk, it's not as quiet as it would be in a horror movie."

"I seriously doubt that being annoying contributes to personality," but then San raised an eyebrow as she asked, "What's a horror mooo-vie?" But before San could get an answer from the outlander, she suddenly froze and sniffed at the air. A few moments passed before she spoke again, "They're here," she said quietly.

"Who's here?" Alex asked, twisting around in his binds, "Come on, San, talk to me here! Just what's going on!" When he heard the approaching sounds of crunching leaves and twigs, and rustling in the trees above, he finally understood what the Princess Mononoke had meant. He could then hear the faint sound of breathing as well as low pitched grunting. 'Oh crap!' he thought to himself when he saw the dots of blood-red eye studying him from the thick blackness that surround him. 'This is definitely not good.'

When the group of apes scuttled out into the open, the dark haired youth felt his skin ripple with goose bumps. For in each of the ape's hand was what appeared to be some sort of primitive looking spear made from thin tree branches. But it was the way they moved that sent Alex's blood into a chill. Though fairly clumsy and unrefined, the ape's movements possessed a terrifyingly human-like characteristic.

"San?" Alex called out struggling in his binds, "San, I could really use your help over here!"

"And just what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know!" Alex replied as he watched the apes make their way towards him, "But seeing as how I can't really move right now, it would be really nice if you thought of something!"

The ring of spear-wielding apes suddenly stopped and squatted just a few feet away from the dark-haired youth. Their glowing red eyes scrutinized him viciously

Alex stared back at his simian captors and tried to smile, but to no avail, "Ummmmm… okay, okay! he called out, trying to imitate the stereotypical calling sounds of a monkey, "I don't suppose I could interest you guys in a banana?" There was a sudden sharp pain in his side, "Ow!" he cried out and looked to his right to see that one of the apes had poked him with its spear, "That hurt, you circus chimp!" another ape poked him in his back , "Hey, Knock it off already." But the apes just proceeded to poke and prod the helpless human, chattering wildly as he cried out in pain.

"Stop it!" San suddenly called out, "Leave him alone!"

The apes ceased their assault on Alex and turned to glare at the Princess Mononoke, "This not concern wolf-girl!" One of the more larger of the apes retorted, it's basso voice echoing through the trees.

Another ape picked up a small rock and threw it at San's cage, "Wolf-girl only here because wolf-girl got in ape's way. Only still alive because wolf-girl is daughter of Moro."

Alex stared blankly at the apes who had spoken. 'Okay,' he thought to himself. So I wasn't hearing things; they are talking. Did I just wander onto the set of Planet of the Apes?' He then looked at the Princess Mononoke, 'And is it just me, or did San actually just stand up for me?'

"I'm afraid for reasons I don't wish to go into, whatever concerns this human concerns me as well," San answered. "Besides, I've already claimed first rights to killing him."

"Thanks San," Alex said in a droned voice, "That really makes me feel better."

The wolf-girl rolled her eyes back and continued, "Just what do you apes plan to do with him?"

"This is our forest!" the ape shot back, "Wolf-girl ask no questions, wolf-girl hold no authority here!"

"I don't, but my mother does!" San shouted, her voice rippling with anger, "Now tell me what you're going to do with him!"

"Yeah, just what are you gonna do with me?" Alex asked once more.

"With human eyes, apes shall see world as human's do. With human flesh apes shall feel the strength that humans feel. With human blood, apes shall know knowledge humans know!"

"What?" San raised an eyebrow, and wrapped her hands around two of her cage's bars, "What are you saying? Just what does all of that mean?"

"We shall eat human's flesh and drink human's blood," The ape said, sneering at her.

"Say what?" Alex asked shocked, Please tell me you're joking, right?"

San's eyes widened in horror, "Eat him? You're going to eat him?" She felt as though she were going to be nauseous right then and there, "You can't be serious! What do the apes hope to gain by eating a human?"

"Who care what they hope to gain!" Alex shouted hysterically, "They're gonna eat me!"

"When human body fills ape's bellies," another ape added, ignoring the hysterical youth, "apes shall have power to kill humans. Soon apes take back land humans stole."

"Ummm, Excuse me?" Alex said, "Believe me when I tell you this: you don't want to eat me. The last thing you guys want is inside me at this point."

"You can't be serious!" San shouted, "Eating human flesh won't give you strength. It'll just turn you into something worse than humans! Don't you understand that?"

"I like the way this girl thinks at this point. You should listen to her."

"Apes have no other choice, wolf-girl," the ape said, "Humans grow strong, while apes grow weak. Apes plant trees, but human's destroy them. If apes must become worse than humans to kill humans, then that is ape's karma.

When Alex could no longer keep his rising temper at bay his mouth suddenly burst open into a hysterical tirade. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He shouted as loud as lungs would allow him.

Both San and the apes were taken back by the sudden outburst of hostility.

"When human body fills ape's bellies, apes shall have power to kill humans? That has got to be the biggest load of crap I've ever heard! Where did you all get your sense of logic? Did you pull it out of your butts or something? You're talking about eating me here!"

"Will you just calm down, Alex" San growled, "I really don't think panicking is going to help us very much."

"Oh yes, that's just so easy for you to say isn't it, Miss Princess Mononoke? You're not the one these things are planning to turn into human flavored chimp-chow! Who wouldn't be panicking!"

"Because it wouldn't do either of us any good, you stupid human!"

"Will you stop calling me stupid, you wolf-kissing pain in the... !"

"Be silent, human!" An ape flared its arm out and smacked Alex with its spear, "Human voice like dying boar's squeal!" The ape then turned to its comrades, "Time grow short. Let us feast upon man-creature's tender flesh!"

"No!" San screamed. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she jumped to her feet and thrashed wildly at the bars of her cage, "Get away from him!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Alex shouted, shaking and struggling like a madman, "Come on, can't we talk about this? I mean, I told you I got something that you guys don't want to get. If you eat me, you'll be getting the same problem that I had." His eyes wavered from side to side as his mind worked frantically to find a way out of his predicament, "San?" he yelled, "Oh, San!" he cried again, his voice filled with hysteria, "San! For the love of all that's sacred and good, help me!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do!" San shouted back, ramming the bars with her shoulder, "Just hold on a little longer!"

"I don't have a little longer to hold onto!" As the long-fingered hands of the apes drew closer to him, Alex shut his eyes and tried to twist himself around on the vine that was tethered to his ankles. "San, please!" he cried once more, "I don'… I don't wanna die… I DON'T WANN DIE!" Before he could say another word the apes were upon him, biting and pawing at him mercilessly.

A sudden shriek of rage ripped through the trees, bringing the wild apes to a silent pause. Their glowing, red eyes moved up the side of a tree and came to rest on the solitary shape crouching on the branches, "That's enough! the shape said angrily, "Step away from the human-child, now!"

The leader of the ape-group lunched himself away from the cluster and glared at the intruder. "This not concern you, follower of Forest King!" it growled, "We caught human, so human ours to do with what we please."

The figure in the trees snorted, and then descended from where it was perched. When it landed on the ground, the moonlight shined upon its stumpy from. The creature was in fact another ape. However, unlike the others, this one was covered in a slightly lighter colored fur and its eyes glowed with a gentle hue of green. The ape snorted again and moved closer to its red-eyed rival. "You and your clan have gone too far this time, Saru!" it said, "Do our ways mean so little to you that you would gladly discard them without hesitation?"

The ape called Saru growled at the newcomer and exposed his menacing fangs, "Old ways of apes are for weak!" he retorted bitterly, "Old ways useless in time of war."

"And you're ways are supposed to bring about a better world for our kind?" the green-eyed ape said quickly, "Hate only begets Hate, Saru! Have you forgotten all that the Wise One has taught us?"

"Forest King weak!" Saru spat, "Forest King say to let human's live in Valley. Say to exist as one with humans. Wise One fool!"

A hint of anger suddenly rose in the green-eyed ape, and he moved closer to Saru. "The only fool here, Saru, is the one I am speaking to." He then glanced at the young human who was still in the other ape's possession, "But whether or not you still believe in the Forest King's words is irrelevant. You will release that human, now."

When Saru crouched lower, ready to pounce, the trees suddenly became filled with the angry cries of the green-eyed ape's many comrades. Saru looked about the tree branches with a look of terror in his crimson eyes.

"There's no point in challenging us, Saru. My brothers have this entire area surrounded," The green-eyed monkey took a step forward. "Now tell your clan to release the human. If so we shall let you leave unharmed."

The dark ape grunted, looked back at his clan and grunted again. "This not over, follower of Forest King," he said before darting off into the shadows. After the other apes exchanged confused looks, they dropped their makeshift-weapons and followed there retreating leader.

When all was once again quiet, the green-eyed ape smiled and turned to the imprisoned wolf-girl, "Daughter of Moro!" he called out to her, "Though I'm not sure that I truly need to ask, are you in need of aid?"

San returned the smile, "In many ways, friend," she replied. "But I think that my fr—, I mean, the human may need it more than I do at the moment."

The ape looked over at Alex who was, at the moment, too dazed to say a word other than garbled gibberish, "I suppose you're right." He then looked towards a spot in the trees. "Help the young one down, and cut him loose. Be careful not to hurt him, now."

A group of apes, all green-eyed and light-furred like their leader, scrambled down the side of a tree and quickly rushed to help Alex. As they did this, a few moved about San's cage, loosening and cutting the places that held the small structure together.

When the cage's durability was finally diminished to the point of collapse, San, smashed and burst through the bars as though hatching from an egg. "Finally!" she said, stretching out the stiffness and cramps her muscles had acquired. She then looked down at the leader of the new group of apes and nodded her head. "My thanks, brother ape," she said.

The ape returned the nod. "It pains me to see how much their bitterness and hatred has consumed them," he said sadly, "They can't even talk with the same fluidity that they had been able to only so long ago."

San was about to reply when she saw Alex being steadied by a couple of apes who were trying their best to keep him in a stable sitting position. The youth had an empty look of shock and confusion on his face, and his eyes stared off into nothingness. "Alex?" she said and walked over to him. She knelt down and touched his cheek gently, "Are you alright?"

The young outlander did not reply but mumbled something incoherent that San could not understand.

She shook him gently by his shoulders, "Come on, snap out of it!" she ordered him with very little progress. The young wolf-girl then looked at the two primates who were keeping Alex from toppling over with a surprisingly genuine expression of concern on her face. "What's wrong with him?"

"The young human is just in shock," the ape on the left answered, "Perhaps if you were to gentl…"

Before the ape could finish, San slapped Alex across the face as hard as she hear the 'crack' of her palm hitting the young outlander's cheek.

The sharp impact of the girl's slap smacking his skin brought Alex out of his daze like the crack of a whip. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" he yelped, coming to his senses. He placed a hand against his burning cheek and cringed. "Why'd you do that for?" he whined looking at San with a hurt expression.

San rolled her eyes and sighed. "You were in shock," she said plainly, "It was the only thing I could think of at the moment to wake you up."

Alex clenched his teeth as he felt the side of his now reddened cheek begin to throb, "Okay, that makes sense," he said. "but did you have to hit me _that _hard?"

"Don't be such a weakling," San retorted and stood up, "You should be grateful that I'm even slightest bit concerned about you."

"Right," Alex muttered, "So now what do we do?" He felt something tugging on his shirt. When he looked down to see what it was his eyes widened at the sight of the green-eyes ape standing at his side, "Whoa crap!" he exclaimed, falling to the ground as he jumped back. "Kill it, San, kill it!!!" Another open palm found his other cheek, silencing him.

The Princess Mononoke glared at her companion. "_It!_" she hissed, "just happens to be the reason you're still alive!" She looked down at the ape and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry about his rudeness, brother ape," she said, "I'm afraid that this human's mouth is faster than his mind most of the time." When she saw that Alex was about to open his mouth once more, she shot him an icy stare that rendered him speechless.

The ape laughed. "I hardly even noticed," He then gestured a gap between the trees. "Come, now," he said shuffling towards the gap. "The Forest King is very anxious to meet this young human personally," He then glanced at Alex, "He's been awaiting your arrival for some time now."

San glanced over her shoulder and looked at Alex for a moment. She then turned back to the ape. "Alright," she said, "If you show us the way, we'll follow you."

"Speak for yourself, Princess!" Alex retorted, "After what I just went through, I ain't going anywhere near those things."

"They're called apes, human!" San growled, her temper rising, "and you're coming with us, whether you want to or not!"

"Forget it!"

"Why?" The young wolf-girl sneered, "Are you afraid?"

Alex was silent for a moment, "Yes," he answered blankly. "And considering everything that I've had to go through since I got here, from Demon-Gods, to crazy wolf-girls, to cannibalistic talking monkeys trying to eat me, I feel I have every right to be afraid. And to tell you the truth I think I've been a pretty good sport about it up to this point!" He crossed his arms and shot San an icy look. "But right now, I've just about had it with good sportsmanship,"

San glared at him once more.

"So unless you give me a really good reason otherwise, I am NOT moving from this spot!"

It was then that the ape spoke again. "I understand your feelings of fear towards us, my young, human, friend," it said, "And we know of your curse."

Alex's eyes widened, and for a moment he was sure that he could feel the curse's power burning bigger and more powerful in his wrist chain band. Instinctively his hand pressed against the wrist chain, hiding it from view. He hoped that it had been too dark for anyone to notice it. And for some reason he found himself hoping that San had not noticed it yet. When he looked in the wolf-girl's direction she gave him a questioning look. "How did....... did you know?" he asked slowly turning his gaze back to the green-eyed primate.

"I promise that all will be explained as soon as we reach our cliff," the ape said. "But you must trust us. We mean you no harm." He then continued to hobble towards the trees. "If you wish to remain here, that is your choice. Otherwise, please follow me."

Alex frowned for a moment then buried his hands in his pockets, "I guess I really don't have much of a choice," he said finally. "Lead the way, then." When these words were said, the apes chattered happily and took the youth by the hands, leading him onward. 'I guess this is just one of those nights,' he thought to himself as he was gently pulled through forest.

Before San moved to follow them, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. When she moved closer to the object that had drawn her attention she kneeled down to get a closer look. It was Alex's jacket; the one that the apes had taken from him as she picked it up. But at the moment, questions were buzzing into her head about the outlander: Where did he come from? What kind of armor was this she was holding? And why did he kept mentioning he had 'something inside of him' that the apes shouldn't have?

So many question raced through San's head, many of which she could find no answers to. She wished that her mother were there, for perhaps she would have been able to answer those illusive many that taunted her.

With a dejected sigh, the Princess Mononoke tucked Alex's jacket under her arm and ran off to join her reluctant,

human companion. Perhaps some of her questions would be answered as soon as she reached the ape's hidden dwelling.

* * *

**Deep in the Forest**

**Village of the Apes**

The moment Alex laid eyes on the Ape's home he found himself lost in stare. Everywhere he looked, he saw apes. Either scurrying around the trees and rocks, sitting together chattering in a language he couldn't understand, or...... He suddenly felt as though the blood were draining from his face when he saw the group of apes huddled around a fire, making tools. The fact that they knew how to make fire was unsettling enough, but making tools! That was just too much.

"Hey," San said nudging him slightly, "Are you still awake?"

It took a while for the youth to answer her, "I suddenly understand how Han Solo must've felt when he was brought to that Ewok village," he said quietly before continuing forward.

San frowned and cocked an eyebrow, "What in the name of Shisha-Gami......is an Ewok?"

They were lead through what looked like ape's village' square. A small clearing where no trees grew. As the two humans stepped onto the soft grass that covered the clearing, they suddenly became aware that they were being watched.

Apes, of all shapes and sizes, Crouched in groups that dotted the clearing and watched the two human's every movement with great interest. They seemed especially interested in the young outlander with the fair-skin and dark tousled hair. A few of the younger apes soon decided that watching the strange looking intruder from a distance was just not enough to satisfy their curiosity, and scurried towards him. They jumped and pushed each other over for the chance of being the first to see the human up close.

Alex watched the young apes curiously as they circled around his feet, peering at his every feature as though he were some sort of specimen being studied by a group of scientists. Some of the more bolder members of the group even went as far as to grab tiny handfuls of his jeans and tug at them before scurrying away.

As time passed more and more of the young apes soon joined their friends in pawing and tugging playfully at the human's clothing. Before long, even some of the older apes joined in the examination.

Alex looked over at San for assistance, but found that she had taken up a spot on a rock far from the crowds of groping primates. The look on her face showed that she was finding this whole ordeal amusing.

And she was indeed.

_Bring the traveler of time to me...... _

The clearing suddenly grew silent. Even the juveniles who had been chattering loudly and jumping about ceased in their movements.

_I wish to see him......Bring him to me......_

The voice was soft and flowed through Alex's mind like gentle streams of water. "Who said that?" he asked turning about, looking in every direction. "Who's there?"

_All will be explained in time my young traveler of time.......Now come forth so that these ancient eyes might look upon you at last......_

The young outlander turned to San who just looked back at him, equally confused as it seemed. When he turned around to face forward once more he found that the apes has spread to either side, clearing a path for him. His dark eyes traced the path until they settled on a cave that went deep into the side of an enormous bolder. The more he looked at it, he more the word 'enormous' seemed like an understatement. Titanic might have been a better word to use. 'Who are you?' he asked through his thoughts.

_I am a friend....._

Alex frowned. 'Can I take your word for that?'

_Only if you wish to..... _

He frowned even more. 'I guess I'm just gonna have to.... seeing as how I'm not left with any other alternatives.' With a sharp snuff, he slowly made his way towards the gaping mouth of the cave and stopped for a moment, eying the darkness that lay beyond. He stood there for what felt like hours, wondering whether or not to proceed any further.

Finally, taking in a deep breath, the young human walked into the cave.

San could only stand and watch as her human companion slowly made his way further into the cave, disappearing into the shadows one more time. As she watched him fade from sight she couldn't help but feel the small bit of fear creeping through her spine. Fear that it would be the last time she would see him again. It was then that she realized that she was holding Alex's jacket tightly to her chest.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Dwelling of the Apes; Spirit of the Forest, Someisa**

* * *


	14. Spirit King of the Forest, Somiesa

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Dwelling of the Apes; Spirit King of the Forest, Somiesa**

* * *

The cave seemed to stretch on for miles with every step Alex took. As he proceeded deeper into its shadowy depths, he couldn't help but feel a foreboding chill pass over him. It was all so familiar, and that terrified him. Memories of the first underground cave soon resurfaced in his mind. Memories of the cavern covered in roots, the strange bulbous core, the blinding light, the feeling of being completely torn apart in the blink of an eye. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to push the coldness and fear away. For a long time, the young outlander kept them closed. When he finally did open his eyes, he suddenly stopped and stared in amazement.

The cave was now filled with vibrant blue light. Light that seemed to blossom from vines and roots that entangled the walls like glowing flowers. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Alex reached his hand towards one of the flowers to touch it, then suddenly stopped. 'Oh no,' he thought with a frown. 'I'm not gonna make that mistake again,' He the slowly withdrew his hand and stood stiffly, looking down the cave once more. 'How far does this thing go anyway?'

_Do not let yourself become discouraged, young traveler of time._

'I'm not,' Alex retorted, 'I'm getting tired of walking. Cut me some slack already!' he then grumbled, 'And I'm not to thrilled about the whole telepathy thing going on around here.'

_The longer you waste time with your discomfort,_ _the longer it shall take for you to reach your goal._

'Yeah, yeah,' the dark haired youth retorted, waving a hand. 'Sheesh. You sound like my old man. Except you're not as goofy as he is,' With another sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and continued to move deeper into the cave.

* * *

**Back in Iron Town**

  

"My Lady, Please!" Gonza pleaded his mistress, bowing on his knees and touching his head onto the floor, "I'm begging you! For the honor of Iron-Town, as well as your own, let me kill the outlander that has brought disgrace to you!"

Lady Eboshi remained silent, as she had done so for the past few hours. She sat in her chambers, along with Yashahime, who sat across the room, sipping at her tea, but glared at the two. Apparently, when she had heard the outlander, Alex, had saved the Wolf Princess, she was not pleased. Not one bit at all by this information. As her romantic fantasies were shattered by the boy's act of kindness towards the beastly savage known as the Princess of Beasts and Ghouls.

Eboshi was propped up by a few soft cushions, constantly being tended to by several women. The fight against the Princess Mononoke and Alexander had left her with several yet non-fatal injuries. Though she had insisted that they were small and unimportant, her most loyal women proceeded to tend to them as though her life was at stake. But no matter how much comfort she was given, or herbal medicines they made her drink or applied to her body, nothing could heal what was truly injured: Her pride.

As she listened to her guard-captain plead, beg and grovel for the honor of brining her the head of the traitorous outlander, the mysterious Alexander, she sipped at a small cup of tea. When she finished, she placed the piece of white ceramic on a tray, which was quickly collected by one of the women, "Before I say yes to anything, may I ask why you wish to kill him, Gonza?" she then asked quietly.

The bearded man blinked with astonishment, "My Lady?" he asked, unable to make sense out of Eboshi's question.

"I just want to hear you speak your reason, Gonza," Eboshi continued, gazing at the soft orange light produced by the candles and lanterns that filled the chamber, "I'm just curious as to why killing this boy is so important to you. So important that you would willfully toss aside your sense of honor and dignity by groveling as you have been doing so for the past hour," she then finished as she looked to him, "It's not like you to be flustered this easily by a mere teenager."

Gonza frowned causing his thick brow to wrinkle. "Because...…" he gnashed his teeth and growled. "Because he betrayed you, My Lady! He invaded your town under the guise of a friend, ate your food, learned your secrets..... and exploited your generous hospitality." His look of anger intensified, "And in the end, he slandered your honor by siding with that disgusting wolf-whore! For that alone he deserves only to die in the worst and most painful way imaginable!"

The young mistress of Iron-Town remained completely nonchalant. "I see," she said. "And how will you kill him, Gonza?" she smiled wickedly, the fires from the lanterns flickering off her dark irises, "You saw the power he possessed; the curse that I forced upon him has begun to change him into something else entirely. Not even the blade of your sword could cut his skin." she then frowned as she concluded, "And it also appears that not even the guns can pierce his armor, if he caught one of them when they were shot at him. What will you do if that power is unleashed once more?"

"I..…" Gonza bit his lip for a moment and frowned. "I will kill him before he has the chance to summon that demonic power once again. I shall use the power of our guns," he finally said confidently. "I'll fire a single bullet into his flesh, and send it straight through his soulless heart. And then I'll hold that white demon's head up for all of Iron-town to see." He bowed once more, "All I need is for you to give me the command, My Lady."

"You can't even track down and kill a wolf girl, Gonza," Yashahime spat out at the Guard Captain as she came into the room, surprising everyone, "This prey requires a more skillful hunter," she then turned towards the doorway as she called out, "Takemaru of Setsuna."

And surprisingly enough, the same samurai that was leading the massacre in that small village, walked right in. "Takemaru of Setsuna…" Yashahime smirked as she looked to the samurai, "… think you can track him down and kill him as well as the Wolf Girl?"

The Samurai bowed, "It shall be accomplished, milady." and behind him, some of his men, who had survived the massacres. "I heard this was some sort of outlander that just happened into your town, Lady Eboshi?" Takemaru's face grew an uneasy smirk across as he asked, "He wouldn't be dressed in armor and garments that were not of this land? Blue eyes and Black hair?"

"Exactly," Yashahime as she asked, "And I am to assume that you know of the boy's power?"

Takemaru nodded, "From what I heard and saw, he single-handedly crushed the skull of one of my men. And practically shattered the ground underneath his feet." he then scoffed aside as he retorted, "Though I find it unbelievable that a child is in possession of such a magnificent and destructive power."

"You sound as though you want such a thing," Eboshi suggested, causing both the darkened samurai warlord and the ghost princess to turn towards her.

Takemaru simply smirked as his gaze and smile became darkened in thinking such an idea. "It never crossed my mind, Lady Eboshi."

Eboshi smiled and shook her head, "You can't control that kind of power, Takemaru of Setsuna." she said as she set her tea down, "No one can." she then looked towards the window, looking out at the barren landscape being illuminated by the moon. "And after witnessing what both you, Yashahime, and Alexander were truly capable of..…" Her expression darkened, "I don't even think even the young man himself is capable of controlling that kind of power. Even if it is his own."

* * *

**Back at the Ape Dwelling**

**Deep within The Cave**

* * *

For a long time, Alex found himself unable to move, unable to speak, and unable to stop staring. The cave had gradually opened up into a large cavern, where the vines with glowing flowers seemed to amass, covering everything in a beautiful color of blue.

But what truly caught the youth's attention was not the cavern itself, but its single occupant. For sitting at the very center of the cavern was the being who had called out to him. The being who the apes had referred to as the Forest King… was in fact a God, or something close to it perhaps. An enormous, and very elderly looking Ape-God, whose entire body was composed of earth, the hair on its arms, knees, and shoulders were made of green leaves, the veins protruding from its body were ancient vines, and its legs were massive tree trunks and the toes were its roots, and the hands nails were make of tree bark as well. On its back were tree branches branching out with leaves and moss growing on them. And its eyes were dark, but save for what appeared to be green eyes inside, making the mighty ape a sight to behold on anything.

"Holy crap…" Alex could hardly believe that he was truly standing there, looking at this. Swallowing hard, he took one step into the cavern and stood stiffly, not taking his eyes the enormous Tree Ape-God for a second. 'It's King-Kong's great grandpa!' The gigantic creature just sat quietly with its trunk and vine covered legs crossed and its large hands resting motionlessly on each knee. Both its eyes were closed.

"Do not be afraid, time traveler," the Forest King spoke softly. He then opened his eyes and gazed down at the small human standing at the mouth of the cavern. His eyes glowed faintly with the color of faded green while the thinning bristles of his brown dirt that resembled fur reflected the blue light, "I will not harm you," He raised he left hand, which the nails were bark, the veins green vines, and the rest of his body made of the earth itself, and extended it towards Alex, "Please come closer. My eyes no longer see as well as they used to, despite that I am no mortal entity."

Alex took a deep breath and slowly began to walk towards the enormous God. When he was only a few steps away, he was motioned to stop and remain where he was.

The Forest King studied Alex for a few minutes before smiling, "Yes," he said, "I was correct. You are the Time Traveler, Alexander Killian."

"Are you…" Alex began, unable to stop his voice from nearly trembling at such a creature. "Are you Shisha-Gami?"

The Forest King blinked once before laughing, "It flatters me that one would assume so," he replied. "But no, I am not the great spirit of the forest. I am called Somiesa, the Spirit King of the Forest. Shisha Gami is the Spirit King of the Spirit Kings, but he too, is a Spirit of the Forest. But many of my children have come to know me as the Forest King."

"Oh," Alex replied, slightly embarrassed, "My mistake."

Somiesa shook his head, "There is no need to apologize, Time Traveler, Alexander Killian."

To this, Alex tilted his head and looked up at the ancient deity, "How did you know my name, or about that? I haven't told anyone that…"

"There was no need to, my young human," Somiesa said. "I already knew. I knew long before you came to these mountains. I knew before you even began your long journey across the lands that span between here and the Amishi village." the might Somiesa then stretched his arms out, looking like he was about to give a great big hug as he proclaimed, "After all… I am the Spirit King of the Earth. All around us, my eyes and ears are everywhere."

Alex shook his head, "Well I guess that would be how you knew were I traveled from. But that doesn't tell me everything, Somiesa," he replied. "How did you know all this? How did you even know I came from the future?"

"Because my young Time Traveler," the Forest Spirit King said, smiling, "It was I and the other Spirit Kings who took you from the future and brought you here, to this time."

Alex's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets, "Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… You wanna run that by me again?

"It is the essence of my spirit, as well as the other Spirit Kings, that possesses the tree you will stumble upon seven-hundred years from now. You see, we are the reason you will be thrown into the past.

"You're kidding right?" Alex asked, not knowing whether to vomit or laugh as he felt himself on the verge of crying with joy, "This is some kind of a sick joke, right?"

"I assure you that it isn't, Time Traveler."

At that moment, the boy's face lit up and he took a few more steps towards Somiesa, "Does that mean you can send me back? I mean, if you and these Spirit Kings were the ones who sent me here into the past, then you can send me back to the future!"

Somiesa looked down at the excited human youth and frowned sadly, "I'm afraid… " he began slowly, making sure the boy would not lash out in anger, "… I am I afraid that is not possible." He couldn't help but feel a pain stabbing his ancient immortal heart when he saw the look that swept over Alex's once joyful face, "I am sorry, Alexander, but I am afraid that returning you to your time is beyond my capability. I alone cannot do it… not without the other Spirit Kings to assist me."

"That's garbage!" Alex screamed, "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard! He glared at the Forest Spirit King, "If you and your friends could send me here, then you can send me back!"

"I cannot, Alexander. I am truly sorry."

"You're Sorry?" The young outlander couldn't hold back his anger, "You took me away my home! My century! My family! Then you stick me in a time period where I have to avoid getting killed every time I turn around! And now that I've come all this way, after everything I've gone through, you're just gonna sit there and tell me that I don't have any chance at all of going home?" Tears were now beginning to fill his eyes; he was unable to bear this truth and realization, "Why? Why did you do this to me?"

"Do you truly wish to know?"

"Yes!" Alex replied, his sadness becoming more of anger.

Somiesa breathed deeply and closed his eyes, "Because.......you, my young human, may be the only thing that stands between this world and total annihilation."

Alex wiped the tears from his face and looked up at Somiesa, now more confused than ever, "What's that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," The Forest Spirit King opened his eyes and looked down at the young teenager, "I brought you here because you may be the only one who can help us restore the harmony between humanity and Nature itself."

Unable to support himself any longer, Alex collapsed to his knees on the ground and sat in a defeated slouch, his head hanging forward. "I don't understand any of this," he said. I thought I was sent here as punishment for pissing off some dead God's spirit. He then looked back up at Somiesa, "How could you be the one who sent me here if you and these other Kings are still alive?"

The Tree-Ape Spirit King smiled, "I suppose that does need to be explained. Very well, I shall tell you all that you wish to know." He paused for a moment, "But in order for you to understand what I tell you, you must first be able to understand the world of the Gods and the Spirit Kings."

Alex sighed and leaned back, supporting himself on his hands. "Alright," he said, "Explain away then; I've got nothing better to do with my time."

Somiesa nodded, "The first thing you must understand, is that the creatures like Moro and Nago are not true Gods. They cannot control the environments, cannot destroy on vast scales, and cannot create life. The only beings that can do these things are the Forest Spirit Kings that govern the elements of this world. Shisha-Gami and I are two of those Forest spirits. However, we are spirits of a much higher class; we are almost considered as Gods. We are simply known to humans and the God Beasts as the Spirit Kings of the world. However, there is a problem to it if one of us dies: if one of us dies, that element that we control shall be in utter chaos, and will cease to exist as it slowly dies. If all of us die, the world will die with us. However, if our essence lives on and one of us still lives, we can be reborn and once again bring balance to our element and the world."

"If those wolves, Moro and her kids, Nago, and Isaac aren't Gods," Alex asked raising an eyebrow, "… then, what are they?"

"They are the guardians," the Tree-Ape Spirit King answered, "Immortal entities that have existed since the birth of time. They exist in this world by taking vessels that give them physical form, enabling them to live among the mortal world as we do. They can live, age, grow ill, and they can bleed. And after a long span of time has passed, they can eventually die." He frowned at the youth sitting before him, "Do you understand?"

Alex nodded, "I do. At least… I think I understand. But if you're the _real_ Gods, why are they known as Gods anyway?"

"Because that was how the world of nature looked upon us and them. And for a long time, before they evolved into what they are today, humans were once part of the world of nature. That is why many humans still see them as Gods. I suppose over time, they became attracted to the titles we had been given, and eventually accepted them. As for us Spirits… we prefer to keep ourselves out of sight these days. Back then, Man and Beast had known of us, and we were free to be with both. Before… _he_ came…"

"This is deep," Alex muttered, but then looked confused, "Wait! Who's he?"

"The Demon God of Death and Destruction: Hexxus," Somiesa said with much dread in his voice, "It was he who had shattered the harmony when he rose up from the bowels of the earth, and rained down his poison that nearly destroyed all the forests. And it was he… who burned the hole in man's heart." Somiesa sighed deeply as he looked to the boy, "It's actually very simple if just you stop to think of the basic principles behind it all"

"Maybe for you it is, but you've had, what, several thousand years to contemplate this?"

"Actually, since the beginning of this world's existence, I suppose," Somiesa replied.

The young outlander shook his head, "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I feel like I'm gonna barf and my head's gonna implode," he said. "And to tell you the truth, I really don't care." He had a look of bitterness in his expression, "All I want to know, is why you and your friends brought me here?"

"I thought that I already explai…"

"Telling me that I'm the only one who can help you! That's only half an answer!" the youth snapped, "I need you to be straight and true with me. Because at this moment, I don't know how much longer I can continue," He sighed and continued. "The oracle back at the Amishi village told me I that was sent here as a punishment. Now you're telling me that I was brought here because you believe that I'm some legendary hero. I am now physically and mentally exhausted, Somiesa. And I need real answers: how am I supposed to save who or what?"

For a long time the two remained locked in silence. Finally, after much time had passed, Somiesa broke the silence, "I and the other Kings, wanted to change the world," he said gently. "… and we wanted to change the future."

"Okay… I'm not followin' ya on this," Alex asked, feeling a bit more confused by this, "What do you mean by, 'change the future'?"

"The mind of a Spirit King......or a God as we have come to be known, exists beyond the limitations of space and time. We can seek the past for answers we may have about our world, or about ourselves if we desire. We can seek the present to gain knowledge of the world around us. But to seek the future. Such an act is not only incredibly difficult, but dangerous."

"Why is it so dangerous?"

"Because he who can see the answers that lie in the future, can change the questions that lie in the present. The first Spirit King of the Kings, the predecessor of Shisha Gami, decided a long time ago that this sort of foresight should never be used by other Kings. For it is not our place to change or decide the fate of anyone, not even our own. Such is the right of all sentient beings."

"And you went ahead and did it anyway, didn't you?" Alex asked.

Somiesa nodded, "When I looked into the future....... I was saddened by what I saw. There were no Guardians, and their were no Forest Spirits. There was no longer unity between humans and nature. And because of the human's careless quests for power due to Hexxus's influence, what little was left of nature was quickly withering away. And very soon… the world that we once knew… would become a graveyard for all. Oto-Hime and I wanted to change all of that. We wanted to make a world where such suffering and evil did not exist," The Forest Spirit King lowered his head sadly, "But in order to do this… I had to convince the other Spirit Kings to join me in making the ultimate sacrifice."

"What?"

"Our very lives," Somiesa paused, breathed and then continued, "Using every ounce of our power, we placed the very essence of our very lives within a single tree and left it there to wait."

"To wait for what?" Alex asked.

Somiesa smiled, "For you," he answered. "It was waiting for the day when the one who could help change the future would arrive. And you are that _one_, Alexander Wallace Killian, son to one Nathan Killian and Asuna Killian. Son of a doctor, a being who saves lives, whether good or evil. And a florist, a human who nurtures forest life. But much more to your birth than either you… or your parents… would ever know."

Alex's mind was now even more confused as it was riddled with more questions on what he meant by what he meant, 'My birth? What does he mean by that?' at this point, his brain wanted scream, to curse every obscenity he could think of. He wanted to cry, to shout out in rage and grief.

But nothing came. Not even a single whisper. All he could do was stare into the empty space in front of him. Finally, after an uncomfortable few moments of silence, he stood and looked up at Somiesa with a hurt expression, "This is too big," he said, "I… I can't do this."

"Are you afraid, Alexander?" Somiesa asked.

"Am I afraid?" Alex asked, "Yes. I think it's fair to say I am."

"Why?"

Alex hesitated. "I don't know," he eventually answered, "I think I'm afraid of myself. Of what I've become capable of over these past few weeks." He looked to the golden band that had absorbed the curse within him, and now did its best to hold it at bay. But so far, due to the transformations, it was becoming likely that he would forsake his humanity very soon. "Look at me, Somiesa. Look at what I'm becoming. I've killed one man already, nearly tore down two towns with just one punch and stomp to the ground, and have injured many more. Tonight, I almost destroyed Iron-Town. And if I had let myself, I could've killed everyone in sight."

"And that is why you're afraid?" Somiesa asked.

"Yes," the teenaged outlander replied, "I'm becoming a monster, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. They told me Shisha Gami is the only one that could lift the curse. But now… after seeing what humans have done to these forests, I don't think he has any intention of helping me." He closed his eyes, "And if that's the case, I'm out of luck."

"I understand your anguish, young time traveler," said Somiesa. "For like you, I, as well as the other Spirit Kings, am cursed." Alex stared at him, "The day the Kings and I sacrificed our essence, we cursed ourselves and this world to a fate of death. For you see, when we all die, we will have no means of being reborn. We shall merely fade out of existence like a passing dream; slowly but surely, this will give Hexxus the opportunity to kill off this world much faster than he already is by influencing the hearts of the humans that he's poisoned with his promises." He laughed quietly, "All we can do now is wait for the day that our deaths shall befall us… and with ours, slowly but surely, so will this world's death come much faster than expected."

He looked down at Alex, "So you see, Alexander… this is why we brought you here… so that with your help, we shall live again, and that this world might continue to live on. But perhaps… with you here… we can once again live in harmony with the humans… and create a better future for us all."

"_That's_ the last thing I needed to hear," Alex said sullenly as he rubbed his right arm, "Now I have that on my conscience." He sighed once more, "Just one last question."

"Ask it."

The youth locked eyes with the enormous Forest Spirit and replied, "Why me? Why am I so special?"

The question had caught Somiesa completely off guard. He looked back at the smaller creature, "Why do you ask?"

Alex frowned and crossed his arms, "I don't know," he said. "It just seems strange to me. Why, out of all those people who make up that six-billion in my timeline, was I the one to be touched by the almighty hand of the Spirit Kings? Why was I the one chosen to save the world from total destruction? I mean, I'm nothing special."

"Oh, believe me, my boy… you are more special than you can imagine. And the only one who knows of this is the Forest Spirit Queen of Fire, Oto-Hime," Somiesa laughed at this jest as he looked to the boy, "But incidentally…why is it so important for you to know?"

"Because it doesn't make any sense! That's why it's so important to me!" Alex snapped, but not allowing the curse to transform him. "I can't do this, Somiesa! I'm nothing! I'm just an American teenage outcast, with no friends, no permanent home hoping to strive for a job in the Medical Department. I'm not futuristic warrior/savior/hero from the future. Heck, I'd probably do more harm to my time than what I've done now! For all I know, it's probably now a time where apes evolve from man… or worse, dinosaurs are roaming the world and all the humans have been turned into fish people!"

"That may be, Time Traveler," the Spirit King said gently. "But I, as does Oto-Hime, still have faith in your abilities, old and new. You are quite clever at the times when you choose to be. And you have managed to stay alive up to this point. That, and the curse has become an advantage; all you must do is conquer the darkness that Nago had imprinted in your soul…"

"That's the point of all this! I don't want this curse; it's making me into someone I'm not: a monster!" Alex shouted pointing to the golden band. He then sighed dejectedly, "I'm sorry, Lord Somiesa. It's obvious that you and this Oto-Hime picked the wrong person. I'm not your savior of the future. I can't help you; I can barely save myself from a horde of apes without someone saving me." He then turned around and began to make his way towards the cave, "…and even if I am this savior you've been waiting for... He glanced over his shoulder, "I can't do this alone."

"You won't be alone in this journey, Alex."

At that last sentence, Alex went wide eyed with surprise in that last remark. Before he could ask what the half-ape, half-plant spirit meant by that, a small leathery bundle was tossed to him. Acting purely on reflex, the youth's arms shot up to catch it. When he looked at what he had caught, his dark eyes widened. The bundle was in fact his supply sack that the Amishi People had given him, as well as the machete that Kaya had given him.

"I believe these were stolen from you," Somiesa said, smiling. "My children found them lying on the ground after Saru and his tribe fled into the forest."

Alex held up his sack and weapon, and gazed at it for what seemed like an eternity. He then looked back at the Spirit King of the Forest and gently smiled, "Thank you." With that said, the youth slipped his arm into the bag's strap and stepped through the mouth of the cave, dissolving into the shadows with every step.

And with a brush of the wind, he was gone.

"The young one lacks faith in himself," Somiesa said quietly.

"I know, your Highness," replied a voice, "But at this time, with Hexxus building a massive army of demons, and very few allies still alive… we have no other choice." there was a small pause in the voice until he answered, "I'm just surprised you didn't tell him that the tree you and the other Kings forged your essence in… is connected to both the past and the future, unhinged by time and space. Incidentally… he has a way to go home and back here whenever he wants to."

"I'll leave it up to you to tell him that." The Forest Spirit King looked towards a cluster of shadows that covered a section of the cavern, "I also fear that the curse may not be that far from completing its cycle."

"That is why we have to act quickly, Somiesa," the voice replied again, "He's reaching a very unstable point in his development. And I've seen the destruction he is already capable of."

Somiesa shook his head, "It can't be helped, Isaaku. There's nothing we can do about it." He sighed, "All we can do now, is hope that the Forest Spirit lifts the Darkness within Nago's curse before it's too late."

"Until then, I'll continued to observe and protect him until he no longer needs me."

"Oh? Are you not afraid of the danger you will be putting yourself in?"

"I am, Somiesa. Well… maybe just a little for myself. But mostly for the boy," the voice said, "But what else can I do? When the time does finally come for him to approach the Forest Spirit, King Shisha Gami, he's gonna need me. I won't forsake him, my friend. Not now, not ever. After all, like you, he also has become my friend as well."

Somiesa laughed and crossed his long, dirt created and vine covered arms, "You always were the stubborn one, Isaaku."

"I know," said Isaac, but then mumbled, "And don't call me that." He then took a few steps forward and moved out of the shadows, allowing his small. furry body to be illuminated in the blue glow of the cavern. "But you should know by now that us fox-squirrels, who are members of the Fox Family, are stubborn by nature." His pointed ears twitched as a clever grin stretched across his long, furry maw, "And besides, I find Alex's company to be rather pleasant at times."

"May I ask when you're planning to tell him the real reason why you accompany him? Or of what Oto-Hime asked of us Kings to do?" Somiesa returned the fox-squirrel's grin.

Isaac furrowed his bristly eyebrows, "I'll tell him when I'm ready too, Somiesa," he answered and began to make his way towards the cave where his human companion had disappeared into. "But for now, I'm perfectly content on being his 'lil' buddy as he so likes to call me at times."

"Very well, my friend," the Great Tree-Ape replied as he watched the small fox-squirrel scamper towards the cave. "But there is one that you must always bear in mind when you're with him, Isaaku."

Isaac groaned at that, not liking his traditional name as he mumbled, "Don't call me that." The fox-squirrel stopped and looked back at Somiesa, "And that is, Lord Somiesa?"

"If Nago's curse completes its terrible cycle, despite the attempts of the band suppressing it… and should the Spirit King refuse to lift the rage of the curse from Alex's body.…" Somiesa's expression darkened as the room seemed to shift when he sighed, "I fear the boy will eventually possess a power more destructive and more terrifying than anything this world will ever see. He will not only have the strength, power, and rage of a God, but the lethal intelligence and craft of a human. That, my friend, is a combination that must never be made."

"If that happens, then I'll have to kill him," a voice said in the darkness, surprising both the fox-squirrel, and the mighty tree-ape King.

Then out of the darkness, a figure stepped out of the shadows to make themselves present. it was a sixteen-year-old girl, Asian descent, pale skin with a slim and slender figure that could rival the Wolf Princess's. her hair was raven black, short with only her bangs going to her shoulders, and two thin long ponytails braided, ending in two little tussles; her eyes were violet and sharp, showing her slightly emotionless in her physical appearance. She was dressed in a sleeveless yukata shirt, with her back exposed from neck to her waist, with the collar colored black, as was the left side, while the other side was red, with a black sash belt tied around her waist. Her legs seemed to be in what were black stockings, with only sole-less and toeless moccasins, exposing her toes and heel out.

Isaac grimaced as he looked at the girl, "Rukia…" he then sighed as she made her way towards his side. "What are you doing here? I thought Oto-Hime sent you on some mission?"

"_This _is my mission, you stupid little rodent," Rukia answered, her voice not even showing any sign of emotion. "Oto-Hime has sent me to ensure that the boy doesn't become possessed by the hatred and rage that Nago left within him." both Somiesa and Isaac knew that was the real problem: the rage and hatred that Nago had imprinted on the boy when he cursed him. "I will protect him when the dangers become too… severe for you to handle." the girl's eyes narrowed even more, almost as if a darkness plagued her heart as she finished, "but when he loses control… when the demon has consumed his very flesh and soul, as well as his disgusting human heart… I will… _kill him_."

Isaac immediately paled as he asked in shock, all of his fur standing on end, "Kill him? Rukia, this boy might be our only hope for a better future!"

"I detest humans," Rukia shot out, her eyes returning to their steely gaze as she walked away from the cave. "Humans are our instruments; this boy is nothing more than that. If he becomes defective, we'll simply throw him away and get a new one."

As Rukia disappeared from sight, Isaac just looked to the exit of the cave in worry… for Alex. Somiesa frowned as well, as he spoke only in a whisper, for he and Isaac to only hear, "My dear Rukia… humans are more than mere instruments… they are creatures with wills and hearts of their own. They cannot simply be manipulated; they, like us, have the gift to make their own choices."

* * *

**Back Outside**

**Back with San**

* * *

A cold wind brushed against san's uncovered arms and legs, making her shiver. Even the heat from the small fire the apes had built for her couldn't stop the coldness from creeping over her. As the young Wolf Girl sat hugging her legs to her chest, she looked up through the canopy of the forest and gazed at the moon that shined brightly in the night sky. So badly did she want to howl, to let out all her frustrations, anger, sorrow, and agitation in a single, blood-chilling bellow.

Her assault on the human's Iron-Town had been a failure, the gun-woman had humiliated her, and to make matters worse, she had to rely upon the selfless acts of a turn-coat human to save her from being beaten to death by a mob of raging villagers.

San growled at this and bit down on one of the roots the apes had brought for her to fill her stomach. As she chewed she scowled. The human she had come to know as 'Alex' was like nothing she had ever encountered before. No matter how had she tried, the young Wolf Girl found herself unable to figure him out and it annoyed her beyond reason. She then picked up the jacket Alex had left behind and stared at it for what seemed like the one hundredth time since she had first picked it up from off the ground. Despite its distasteful smell of a human on it, San felt a strange feeling of comfort looking at it. It was strange to her… but the scent it was giving off… his scent… it was comforting.

'I wonder why he wears his?' San asked herself, wrapping the jacket around her shoulders as she looked at it. 'Maybe it's some kind of armor… like my fur cloak?' she removed the piece of garment and looked at it again. 'Or is there some other reason behind it?' San shook her head and sighed with disgust. "Look at me, I've wasted nearly an hour thinking about a stupid piece of garment! A stupid human's garment!" She then chucked the jacket aside and wrapped her white-fur cloak around her cold body. 'Stupid human!.....stupid, stupid, stupid!'

There was a crunch of dry leaves and twigs being crushed under a foot. When the sound touched San's ears she sprung into a defensive stance, "Who's there!" she growled as she slowly reached her dagger, making ready for anything that came to threaten her, "Come any closer and I'll kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's nice to see you too, Princess," Alex retorted as he moved towards the fire and sat across from the battle-ready Wolf Girl. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." He then began to devour the small pile of berries and roots the apes had been left for them, "Hmmm, this stuff isn't too bad. Reminds me of when me and my family would go strawberry farming."

San snuffed, and slowly sank back into her original sitting position. "Here's your prized jacket back," she said curtly as she threw it back to him, which he caught, "You'll have to get past the smell. I was holding on to it for a while, so my scent's pretty much on it."

"I like this jacket," Alex said between mouthfuls of berries. "It gives me a sense of security when I wear it," and he smiled as he looked at it, "That… and it was a gift from my mother." he then decided to tease the princess a bit as he winked at her, "And besides… you smell nice, so I don't mind."

"And what exactly does that mean?" San shot out, getting ready to tear the boy's head off.

Alex held his hands up defensively as he smirked, "Just kidding."

"Figures," the young Wolf Girl muttered as she had calmed down. It was after an uncomfortable moment of silence, that she then gave Alex a questioning look. "So what did the Forest King want with you?" she asked, "You were down in that cave for a long time."

The young outlander crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow, "It took a lot longer with what he had to discuss with me. What's it to you?"

San blinked then scowled. "You don't have get hostile," she replied.

It was at a moment, Alex's smile returned as he snickered, "San, I think you're the last person who should be criticizing me about being 'hostile'," he then pointed to her as he winked to make his statement true, "After all, you're the one who's been threatening to kill me every ten minutes since I dragged your unconscious butt out of Iron-Town."

San growled, fighting her every urge to lunge forward and rip Alex's throat out, "I didn't ask you to help me, you know. I'm not afraid to die… unlike you," she hissed. "I would have rather died than be rescued by a human."

The dark-haired youth could only stare, wondering as to whether or not he had heard his new and very reluctant friend correctly. He looked at her with a face of worried shock as he asked, "You don't really mean that, do you?"

"Yes, Alex," San answered grimly, "I do. I thought I could kill that gun-woman by myself. But I was wrong, and I failed miserably." She scowled even more and balled her fists tightly, and shot Alex a look of both hatred and disgust as she went on, "And then _you_ had to rescue me! You! Do you have any idea what it's like to be saved by one of the very things you loathe more than anything in the world? Do you have any idea at all?"

Alex was silent as he looked into San's piercing chestnut eyes. "No," he finally answered as he turned away sadly, making absolutely sure that San couldn't see his face, "I don't know what it's like to be saved by something you loathe."

"Then don't you dare sit there, and tell me what I do and what don't mean to say! Because you can't even begin to understand how I feel right now!" She then gave him a spiteful glare, as her anger and pride got the best of her, "If I had died back in that Iron town, it would have been with honor." she then snarled at Alex as she spat out, "But you cheated me, human! I should have killed you for saving me! And now I have to live with the shame it's caused m…"

Her last word was cut short by a sharp slap to the cheek which sent her to the ground. She held her hand against her cheek and stared at Alex; he was now sitting right in front of her. When she looked at him, his face conveyed a look of both anger, and amazingly to San… a hint of sadness towards her.

"Just stop it!" Alex finally shouted, and grabbed the young Wolf Princess by the shoulders and brought his face just inches from hers, "Stop talking as though your life was just some cheap piece of food or article of clothing that you can just throw away! Dammit, San! Life is too precious to just throw away for the sake of keeping pride!"

"What do you know about pride?" San snapped back viciously.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Alex replied, "But enough to know that it's not worth wasting your life for." He sighed and gently placed both hands on San's soft cheeks and looked deep into her eyes, just to make sure she would listen to him. This action made San a little startled; in all her life, no creature or human that even tried to get near her had done this. She was almost tempted to tear his face off, but for some reason… she couldn't; not to him. "I know you hate me, San, and I'm comfortable with that, but please, don't start hating yourself. And for the love of god, don't start regretting being alive. Never regret it… ever."

San suddenly felt weak and found herself staring back into Alex's eyes. "And why shouldn't I," she asked just above a whisper.

"Because life is the last thing anyone," he smiled as he looked to San, "… even a uptight, psycho, wolf girl whom shall remain unnamed at this time, should ever regret having. Life sucks every now and then, I should know, I have experience in it. But the one thing you should always try to remember is that everything that happens in our lives, happens for a purpose. Every event, every twist, every little piece of irony, it all has a reason for happening. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

San remained quiet for a moment, contemplating the young human's words. She then looked up at him and nodded, "I think I do," she answered, but then she wavered a little at what she said next, "But… I still feel as though I've failed. Failed my clan......my mother… and all those who live in this forest." she then lowered her head in shame as she finished, "I feel like I've failed them all…"

"You're not the first person to feel like that, San. Believe me," replied Alex in a gentle tone, "But you shouldn't beat yourself up over it." He gently patted the girl's shoulder and took a seat next to her.

San glanced at her human companion briefly before drawing her legs to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them once more. "I never figured you for the philosophical type."

"Yeah, my dad said I take after my mother mostly than I do him." Alex laughed and smiled at the wolf girl, "But believe me, Princess, I think over time, you'll come to see that I'm just full of surprises."

San shared his laugh and shook her head. "I seriously doubt that, human," she said with a smug look on her face.

For a long time the two of them sat there, silent as statues, while soaking up what little warmth from the fire they could. San could smell the scent of Alex's jacket, as well as Alex himself. There was something very strange about the youth's scent that made San's nose tingle whenever it swept through her nostrils. And though it made her shiver all over admitting it, there was something almost… pleasant and warm about it. She shook the thoughts from her head and continued to gaze at the fire.

It was then that the strange gold band on Alex's right wrist caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes on it, the golden band's crimson jewel sparkled the moonlight, catching her eye on it, 'That's strange. I didn't think male humans would wear jewelry,_' _she thought to herself before asking Alex. "That gold band on your wrist," she asked, nearly surprising him. "You seem to look at it constantly. You keep staring at it like it's about to eat you."

Alex tilted his head towards San and gasped when he saw her looking at the band. Not wanting to make her want to kill him even further, he covered up half the truth, "Let's just say… it's a reminder of why I'm here at the time." he pointed to it as he nervously smirked, "I always look at it to make sure the gem doesn't break. Otherwise, I'll be in deep trouble."

San raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he was talking about, but left it at that. He then glanced at San who was giving him a very strange look, "But thank you for making sure my jacket was safe. I owe you one, San."

"No!" San protested, "No more rescues from you, I've already had my fill for one lifetime." She gave Alex a small, impish grin, "But there is one thing I would like you to do for me."

"Just name it, and it shall be done," Alex replied. He immediately kicked himself mentally, upon realizing that he had just accepted to fulfill a request from the viscous Princess Mononoke, 'D'oh! You idiot! Why'd you say that? You don't know what she's gonna ask you to do! For all you know, it's gonna be… !'

"I want to know where you come from," the young wolf-girl said, a very serious expression on her face, "The first moment I saw you standing on that fallen tree, I knew that you were different from the other humans I've encountered."

Alex chuckled, "How am I so different?" he asked, "Other than the fact that I have a different skin-tone then everyone else around here. That, plus a different eye color."

"For one thing, I've never seen clothing like the kind you wear. Nor have I heard anyone talk the way you do. But the one thing that's always troubled me, the one thing that I just can't figure out, is that fact that your only traveling companion is not another human, but a fox-squirrel spirit. A fox-squirrel spirit that chooses to travel with you by its own free will." She shook her head, "No matter how hard I try, I just can't figure you out," She locked eyes with him. "And then there's something else."

"Yeah?" Alex asked, but then looked around as he mumbled, "Speaking of which, where'd that lil' fuzz ball wander off to? I hope he's okay."

San took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "When the Forest King beckoned you," she paused for a moment, wondering weather or not she wanted to continue, "… he called you the Time Traveler." The statement caused the dark-haired youth's eyes to widen. San saw this and instantly knew that she was probably treading on something that Alex had been meant to keep hidden. But nevertheless, the Princess Mononoke was determined to find her answers. "What does that mean, Alex?""

Alex looked as though he was going to be ill. 'Oh Double Crap, I didn't see this one coming!' He frowned deeply and crossed his arms. 'Okay, don't panic, Alex, just give her an answer and pray she buys it' "It's..…" He shook his head and leaned back against the large rock that stood behind them. "… it's hard to explain, San. And to tell you the honest truth, I don't really understand all it myself. I thought I did at first, but now I don't know what I'm supposed to understand anymore."

"So does that mean, you're _not _going to tell me what's going on, then? San asked, a slightly irritated look on her face.

Alex glanced at the girl sitting next to him, and smiled weakly, not wanting her to kill him now, "I wouldn't even know where to begin, San," he said. "Besides, you'd probably think I was crazy or something if I did tell you."

"Even if I did think you were crazy," San returned, "I still want some kind of an explanation. I hate being kept in the dark, Alex," She gave him a piercing look. "And believe me, if I want answers, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get those answers?"

Alex shook his head and nervously laughed, "A woman after my own heart," he said and sighed in defeat, "Alright, San, I'll make a deal with you."

The young Wolf Girl cocked an eyebrow and looked at Alex suspiciously. "I'm listening," she said.

"Take me to the Spirit King, Shisha Gami."

Shocked, San stared at Alex, "You're joking, right? You're not serious, are you?"

"Yes, San," Alex answered calmly, "… dead serious."

"Alex, Shisha Gami is the Spirit King of this whole forest." San protested, "I can't just take you to him."

"Why not?"

"Because it's forbidden, that's why!" San tried to control herself, "I'm sorry, Alex, but that's a deal I can't make without my mother's permission."

"Alright then," continued Alex, quickly, "… we'll go ask your mother for permission."

"Are you crazy?" San nearly shouted hysterically, "You just don't understand, Alex," San shook her head and sighed, "My mother will kill you just for whispering the Forest Spirit King's name. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"San please," Alex continued. "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if there wasn't some degree of importance behind it."

"How important?"

Alex sighed dejectedly, "Let me put it this way…" He locked eyes with San once again, "It's a matter of life and death that I see him."

San contemplated the statement for a moment before replying, "If I do this, will you promise to tell me what I want to know?"

Alex nodded, "Anything you want to know, I shall tell you."

"Alright, then," San said returning the nod, "You tell me what I want to know, and I'll _try _to get you to Shisha Gami."

"It's a deal!" Alex held out his hand and waited for San to do the same. The young Wolf Girl however, just looked at the hand, peering at it as though it were a strange animal she had never seen before.

"Am I supposed to do something, here?" San asked.

Alex gave a sigh of exasperation. "Take my hand, San," San did as she was told. "Good. Now clasp it gently," Alex then proceeded to shake the young wolf-girl's hand, "There now, the deal is settled."

"By grabbing each other's hands and shaking them?" San asked incredulously, looking at her hand, "That's how humans make agreements where you come from?" She chuckled. "I don't think I've ever heard of anything more stupid in my life!"

"Hey, I think facial tattoos and bone-jewelry are stupid!" Alex retorted sarcastically, "but for you, the look actually works." he then cleared his throat a little, "Besides… the Egyptians thought of it first. We just adapted it to my culture, that's all."

San just gave him an irritated sniff and returned her attention to the fire. It was then that she realized that the air had become significantly colder over the past few minutes. Tendrils of icy wind slithered over her lithe form, causing her skin to break out into tiny goose-bumps and her muscles to shiver furiously. She clenched her teeth tightly, fighting the cold and forcing her body to stop shaking. The last thing she needed at that moment was to be subjected to yet another of her human companion's fast-mouthed, little quips.

Suddenly she felt something warm and heavy being thrown over her shoulders. She quickly looked over at Alex, only to find him in the process of wrapping one side of his prized jacket, as well as his arm around her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"You looked like you were gonna drop dead from hypothermia any second now," the young outlander answered. "So I figured that I'd make myself useful for a change."

San sniffed at the jacket and wrinkled her nose, "This thing smells horrible."

"Just shut up and enjoy the free comfort," Alex retorted, leaning back against the large rock. "Please San, you're tired and I'm tired. So let's just do ourselves a favor and get some sleep, okay? We'll start the arguing again tomorrow when we're refreshed."

The Princess Mononoke shook her head and reluctantly leaned against Alex, allowing her head to lower onto his shoulder. "I don't know why I put up with you, human ," she said quietly.

"I'm asking myself that very same thing, Princess." Alex shot back, but smirked, "But maybe it's because you think I'm cute."

San snickered and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, "I hardly think you're cute." but then she became serious as she asked, "But… you do promise to tell me everything, right?"

Alex sighed and glanced at San's face, which was partially buried in his shoulder. "You have my word, San," he said with a small half-smile.

"You mean your word as a human?" the young wolf-girl asked wryly.

"No, not as a human," Alex answered with a smile on his face, "As a friend. Your friend."

San felt something jump inside of her and she lifted her head from Alex's shoulder to stare at him. But the dark-haired youth just smiled at her warmly, forcing a tiny smile out of her as well. Luckily, she pushed it aside as she scowled, "Don't push your luck, human," she whispered returning her head to the softness of Alex's shoulder, "I'm not one to be so easily won over by a few kind words and cheap acts of your human chivalry."

"That's okay, Princess," said Alex, his smile unchanged, "If it makes you feel any better, you're not exactly my type either."

* * *

**Next Chapter: ****Demons in the Forest; Birth of a New Danger**


	15. Demon Hunt in the Forest pt1

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Demon Hunt in the Forest; Birth of a New Demon pt.1**

* * *

**Back In Iron Town**

**In Yashahime's Camp**

* * *

Yashahime had taken Takemaru into her little setup outside of Iron Town's walls. There, a huge tent was set up for them as they walked in there. In the tent, several men dressed in white robes and their faces covered in white bandages, and wearing what appeared to be night vision goggles were hard at work with what appeared to be a primitive lab. Dead bodies of both man and large beasts were; either whole or in pieces in some green slimy liquid. Strange metals were also being made, as the strange men were taking what were the extracts of the various beasts, and creating the same gems that were found on the Curse Chains Bands that Alex and Yashahime had on them. Although primitive, it appeared to be more of an advanced form of alchemy rather than science.

As they walked into the center of the tent, Takemaru had to ask, "Tell me, Milady," and stopped as the princess did, "Why did you bring me here?"

In truth, the princess had invited the conqueror into this tent. She had told him that hunting down this cursed outlander would be extremely dangerous. But he had told her he was skilled in killing and combat, as well as hunting. There was nothing that he couldn't kill or defeat. But nonetheless, she invited him to this tent. Now, finally, she turned around and faced the man, as she asked, "Back in Eboshi's home, you seemed to show a small desire when Eboshi taunted that you wanted the power that the cursed outlander possesses…" she then gave him a sultry smile as she traced her finger on her lip and purred, "Are you interested?"

Not phased by her seductive nature, Takemaru responded, "If given the chance… I would take it or steal it from others just to possess that destructive power." he then brought up his right fist, as he tightened it, making straining sounds with the material, "With it… all would fall before me. For that is the path to becoming the supreme conqueror."

"Supreme conqueror, eh?" Yashahime asked, an evil grin growing on her face. "I like the sound of that. If that's the case, I can arrange for you to have that power. Power so great… that even the Spirit King, Shisha Gami, would fall before your feet dead." she then snapped her fingers, as two of the white clothed figures came to her and stood by her side, "These men will infuse you with a curse, similar to what the outlander and I possess. Although the process for you to use this will be slow…" she then turned towards Takemaru with an insane smile on her face, only hidden with the look of complete malice and cruelty for whoever stood in her way, "… but if you reach down within your heart… if you allow your hatred to boil and swell inside, the curse will respond to it, and grant you the power matched only by the Gods themselves!"

/Takemaru smiled ambitiously at this as he answered, "I think I'll take your offer now."

A few minutes later, Takemaru was lying on a table, flat on his back, with his upper armor and under kimono removed. The two men, now known better as scientist/priests, worked diligently as they prepared him for what would soon come to be his new power. The first one walked up to him as he held a syringe of sorts, filled with what appeared to be the same black ooze that Nago was covered in, and what infected Alex.

The first scientist explained to the patient/test subject, "This is what's left of the Lion God, Ryoukotsei. At the last moment, his curse began to boil and rot his flesh away. Before he was killed we scrapped…"

"I understand the process of demonization," Takemaru spat out impatiently, "Just get on with it!"

The scientist regained his composure as he was about to start, but instead finished his explanation as fast as he could. "This will go through two processes, Curse and then the Band. The Curse will make you feel like your skin is rotting off as it begins the process. But when we place the band on… it will hurt."

And with that, the scientist injected the black ooze all the way to the last drop. After he was finished, Takemaru felt nothing at first; there was no pain whatsoever. Before he was about to kill the scientist for screwing up, his back arched as he gasped in pain. Suddenly, his body suddenly began to spasm violently as he fell flat on his back on the ground. His body shook violently and his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. His mouth spread open, releasing a continuous round of gagging noises while his back arched upward. Suddenly, from the burns, very dark veins began to spread up to his arm and onto his neck. His hand had turned into the shade of black ooze that the creature's skin had been, and his nails grew to razor sharp points, just like lion claws would.

Takemaru still convulsed uncontrollably. Now the veins had reached his face as he shut his eyes tightly. He then opened them again as he let out another gagged scream, but this time, his eyes had turned completely black, with only his irises retaining color, but instead of them being brown, they were now the unnatural color of blood red… just like a lion's eyes. 

The second scientist walked over and returned to where Takemaru was. He placed the black metal on his right wrist. He then began to mix together the blood and fur of the former God they were using, as the two began to chant in an unknown dialect. As they finished chanting, the second scientist positioned the hand that held the lion's flesh and blood, and squeezed it, allowing one drop of the mixture to hit the metal piece.

As it did, it glowed brightly as it seeped into the metal piece. After that happened, the metal began to flex and melt, becoming malleable and alive as it sprouted out tentacles of its own. They then shot into Takemaru's wrist, burying themselves into the flesh. The darkened Samurai howled out in even more pain as his convulsions became more violent. As it happened, the darkened veins started to regressed back to the wound, and the wound itself began to regress as well.

As the wound disappeared, the black metal band had wrapped around Takemaru's wrist, forming into a wrist chain of sorts, with the mixture of red blood crystallizing into a red gem of sorts. When the feeling of pain began to fade from his body, Takemaru's eyes had returned to their normal color, and then he breathed a relieved sigh and fell back onto the table, gasping for air after the ordeal he had gone through.

But then he looked to his wrist… and an evil smile spread across his face as he saw the black band, with the jewel dimly growing, "And now… the power's all mine…"

* * *

**Back in the Forest**

* * *

'How did I get myself into this?' Alex asked himself as he pulled himself over a very large rock. The muscles in his arms and legs felt like they were on fire, and his sweaty clothes felt sticky and rough against his skin. The throbbing demon-marks on his body didn't make things any better. With a pained wheeze and a gasp, the dark-haired youth finally managed to pull himself over the rock. Slowly rising to his feet, he stood up and rubbed tenderly at the sore muscles in his arms. 'I bet Dad would try and give one of his speeches on how this would make your body lean and strong… and make a joke in the end about getting a tight butt as a bonus if he could see me now.'

He looked up at San who was at the moment making her way up a steep slope. "Hey, San!" he called to her.

The young Wolf Girl looked over her shoulder and gave Alex an irritated look, "Yes, what is it now?"

"Just out of curiosity," Alex asked as he caught his breath, "How much further do we have to go?"

San sighed dejectedly and shook her head. "You've asked me that five times, already, Alex," she retorted, "And every time you've asked, I've given you the same answer."

"I think my memory's in need of a refresher course at this point," Alex said as he proceeded to follow his companion up the slope, groping for anything he could latch on to. "I just love hearing the sound of your voice when you're yelling at me."

Sighing once more, San continued to pull herself over the slope. "I said that it'll take us at least half a day to reach the lake of Shisha Gami," she glanced back at Alex and frowned, "Do you think you can remember that this time?"

"Huh?" the dark-haired youth asked, grinning stupidly, "What was that you were saying? I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention." seeing the annoyed look on her face, he chuckled as he shook his head, "Sorry. I was just messing with ya."

San rolled her eyes back and pulled herself over the slope. "You're such an annoying idiot, you know that?" she stood at the edge of the slope, waiting for her less maneuverable companion, "And to top it off, you're about as slow as a gorged raccoon."

"Hey, I'm moving as fast as I can here, Princess! Who do I look like, Jesse Owens!?" Alex shouted back as he pulled himself up the slope. His face was beginning to flush, making it almost as red as the blood he had to see half the time he had been here in this world. He then sighed as he defended, "Besides, I'm not that slow; I'm just saving it for when I need to."

"Why would you do that?" San asked, curious as to know this human's meaning.

"Well…" Alex stated as he continued up the slope, "… I don't think a person should run unless they're being chased. But that's just me."

San just shook her head and looked up at the sky, peering through the thick canopy of green leaves that blocked most of it from view. 'How did I get myself involved in this?' she thought to herself.

For a moment, she then closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest that echoed all around her. Even from a good distance away, the Princess Mononoke's sharp ears could pick up even the faintest of sounds, and could hear them almost as clearly as she could if they were just mere steps in front of her. She could hear the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves blowing in the morning wind, the soft yet loud roar of running spring water in the rivers and lakes, and the clattering of tiny kodama playing amongst the towering trees. Added to the rich fragrance of the forest, the sounds always relieved San of any worry or discomfort she may have had, leaving her totally at peace.

And at that particular moment, peace and relief were the two things that the young Wolf Girl needed above all at this point.

The sound of gasping and panting suddenly broke the young wolf-girl's concentration, tearing her from her tranquil thoughts. When she looked down she saw a sweaty-faced and half-exhausted Alex crouched at her feet, slowly taking in air as if he had gone running.

"Okay… I think… we've had… enough climbing for one day!" For another few minutes. the young outlander continued, until he stood up, and pulled back his dampened hair. He then took a deep breath, and all the fatigue disappeared as he winked at San with a smile on his face, "Alright! Let's get going!"

San looked at Alex, completely flabbergasted, until she shot into his face, yelling, "What the hell? You were just wheezing and barley able to stand! And now you suddenly are up to climbing again?"

Alex looked at her like she had lost her mind, as he sweat dropped, and put his hands to his hips as he cocked an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. I just needed to take a breather. I'm only human, you know."

San stared at Alex for a moment with a cocked eyebrow, until she turned away pulling her head back with her hands, groaning with frustration. 'Shisha Gami, give me strength.' she then turned towards Alex snarling in frustration "Are all the humans where you come from this pathetic and bizarre?" She asked, crouching down as she looked out to the forest, not wanting to look at Alex at this point.

"In terms of surviving in the outdoors," Alex retorted as he crouched down next to San on the moss-covered ground. "I'd have to say that most humans where I come tend to suck at stuff like that. Those that are trained to survive outdoors, like my uncle and I… we pretty much excel at surviving out here." With great effort he was able to look at San face-to-face so she wouldn't turn away, "Truth be told, this is the longest I've ever been in outdoor wilderness like this. Usually, my uncle and I would spend a week out and go back to his home." He reached his hand towards San, hoping to receive a bit of help getting to his feet, "But I am a little sorry for driving you nuts with the whining back there."

San chuckled, "At least I know you can keep up with me," She reached down and pulled Alex up until he was standing once again. "But tell me, what does your uncle do that teaches you how to survive in wilderness?" she then looked at Alex with a look that would describe she'd be PO'ed if she didn't like the answer. "Is he a hunter?"

Alex returned the chuckle as he shook his head, "Nah, he was a soldier; a regular US Marine. They basically learn how to fight wars, and survive in the wilderness. After he was honorably discharged, he opened a lodging site where he'd take people out on a woods safari. Teaching them how to make a tent out of leaves and branches, what to eat and what not to eat, even use the forest and stars to find their way back home." He gave San a lopsided grin, "He pretty much took me on most of those safaris and show me the ropes on everything he knew. He even showed me how to prepare frogs legs and taught me now nutritious grasshoppers are in case you run out of food."

"I see," she retorted flatly.

"Well, that pretty much sums up the questions for the day," the youth continued, leaning against a tree and crossed his arms. "Hope that's part of the answering questions deal we had last night."

"In all truth, I think I could care if that adds on to our deal," She glanced around the area for a moment, as though she were analyzing it. "We should be getting a move on," she said, "I don't like staying in one place for too long." She looked back at Alex who was still leaning against the tree. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

"What's the rush, San?" Alex replied, crossing his arms, "We've been traipsing through the forest for the past three and a half hours. We're pretty much far away from Iron Town; I doubt Eboshi's gonna try something stupid and come after us in your territory. That, plus my feet have become two big festering blisters. I'm dry as a bone… on the count I didn't drink any water for a while, and to top it all off, I'm hungry!" He gave the Wolf Girl a blood-chilling glare. To put it very simply, Princess, despite the fact that I'm actually enjoying the hike, I am not happy with not knowing where we're going or what to expect."

"And you think I'm enjoying this anymore than you are?" San shot back angrily as she stomped towards him, getting into his face, startling him as she snarled, "In case you've forgotten, _Alex_, I'm still recovering from being nearly beaten to death by a group of rampaging humans. My entire body feels like it's on fire, and to tell you the truth, every time you open your mouth I feel the urge to kill you by cutting your throat open! So don't talk to me as though you're the only living creature in this forest that's suffering, alright?"

Alex muttered something under his breath, "You don't have to bite my head off about it."

"Good, I'm glad we understand each other." The Princess Mononoke then grabbed Alex roughly by the arm and began to lead him through the forest, dragging him as though her were a sack of grain.

Taken back by this show of force, Alex retorted, "Hey, what are you…"

"I'm taking you to a place where you can rest," San replied quickly. "Now just shut up before I decide to follow my urges and kill you!"

"Alright, alright," Alex sighed in defeat as he let her lead him on, "You don't have to…"

"I said shut up!" San shot back.

As they made their way, Alex then spoke up, but this time in a serious tone, "If we do stop, I need to take a look at that bandage." he pointed to her side to where Eboshi's blade sliced her at, "I wanna make sure it's healing and not gangrene, okay?"

San was silent for a while as they continued onward, not even speaking to him. Until finally, she sighed, "Just don't try anything funny, alright?" But as they continued, San clulessly looked to Alex as she asked him, "Um... what is gangrene?"

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Far Away from The Kids**

* * *

"Well?" Gonza gruffly asked the two riflemen kneeling before him, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes Sir," the one on the left answered first, bowing his head. "Remains of an old campfire, with pieces of wood still burning."

"Probably only a few hours old," added the other rifle men, bowing his head as well. "But we were unable to find any traces of them."

"Blast it!" the guard-captain growled tossing aside the bowl of cold rice he had been shoveling into his large mouth. "Can't you fools do anything right? I sent you out to find the demon and the wolf-whore, not remains of a day-old campsite!" He stood and glared at the riflemen, "I guess we're just going to have do this the hard way, then."

"We are at your command Sir," the rifleman on the left said weakly.

"Get the supplies packed and my rifle ready, we're heading out in ten minutes!"

"Yes sir!" the two men shouted in perfect unison, before scuttling off to carry out their orders.

"Just be sure to stay out of my way, Gonza," Takemaru replied as he walked aside the captain. "The only reason you're with me and the creatures that Yashahime lent me, was that Eboshi had convinced me I'd need the rifles." he then looked up in the trees to see movement. He saw inhuman creatures with what appeared to be moth wings and antennae. Whatever they were, they looked like insects, but the way they moves… it was evident they moved like humans would. "Though I doubt that they ore the rifles will do any good." he then looked at the black band on his wrist as his ambitious smile came up, "With this new power, I shall crush the boy single-handedly."

Gonza snalred as Takemaru walked past him, and then finally shouted, "Takemaru! Don't forget that the wolf girl's head is mine to take back to Milady!"

"And don't forget…" Takemaru retorted back as he kept his back to Gonza, "… that the boy is my prey. I'm the only one that can kill him."

Gonza's face twisted as his scowl deepened at seeing Takemaru all high and mighty. His small. dark eyes darted from one angel to another, taking in every detail of the dense forest surrounding the camp he and his two men had set up. 'Soon outlander demon,' he thought to himself. 'Soon… I'll have your head stuck on a spike for all of Iron-Town to see! My lady Eboshi will not be put to shame by the likes of you!' he clenched his jaw tightly, causing his teeth to grind against each other. 'And neither shall I!'

With a final growl, the bearded man spun around and addressed his men once more. "I thought I told you to get those supplies packed, you piss-drinking sacks of slag! The longer we stand here loafing around, the further our enemies get ahead of us! We're not going back to Iron-town unless I have that demon's and the wolf-whore's head hanging from my belt, do you understand me?"

The two rifle men flinched at their superiors sudden outburst. Yes Sir! Forgive us Sir!

When the supplies were packed and ready, Gonza slung one of Lady Eboshi's newly crafted rifles over his broad shoulder and took position at the head of the small hunting party. "Let's go," he ordered, following Takemaru as he, the two men, and the two creatures followed them all in the forest.

Takemaru smirked as his eyes were that of a lion's, 'Keep deluding yourself, Gonza. I'll personally kill the two, showing you that my power is more than your rifles could ever do.'

* * *

**Back with the Kids**

**Deep within the Forest**

* * *

"Well, Alex?" San asked with a triumphant grin, "Does this satisfy all your needs?"

Alex found himself at a complete loss for words. The resting place that San had led him to was in fact a beautiful lake that lay surrounded by towering boulders and cliffs on one side and dense forests of trees on the other. Moss-covered, rock formations jutted from the water's surface like sentinel statues while roaring waterfalls created clouds of misty white as they cascaded down the deep crevices that scarred the cliff's surface. Truly, this place looked like heaven on earth.

"Am I satisfied?" Alex repeated, "I think being speechless is more like it."

He moved towards the edge of the lake and collapsed to his knees. He then reached his hands into the cool water and splashed a handful onto his face, washing away the grit and sweat. The teenaged boy gave a sigh of contentment and splashed himself again, and then a third time, relishing the refreshing feel of the water on his skin.

When he was finished washing his face, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at San who had been watching him curiously. "Thanks San," he said. "I owe you big time for this one."

"Didn't we go over this last night, Alex?" The young wolf-girl asked taking a seat next to her human companion. "The last thing I want is another favor from you." She slipped off her animal-skin moccasins and dipped her small swollen feet into the water, letting the coolness soothe them. "Besides," she continued nudging Alex's shoulder. "I only brought you here to shut you up."

"Well, that may be… " Alex replied, looking up at the blue, cloudless sky that hung high above them. But I'm still grateful. he then got up as he knelt to San's side, "Okay, let's take a look at the bandage."

A little startled by that, San remembered the bandage on her side. "Oh! Yes, that's right," she said as she lifted the side of her shirt up, exposing the hole to where the bandage was. Alex carefully and gently took the cloth and bandage off, and inspected the wound. So far the wound was small and left only a small scratch, no permanent scarring or nothing. Alex smirked as he looked to her, "Well, looks like it's healing nicely."

"That's good to know," San replied as she pulled down her shirt. She then turned away as Alex set his bag down and sat on the other end.

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "I tell you, San, I do enjoy the nature hiking. But I gotta say, one more hour of hiking like that, and I probably would have…" he turned to look at San, "Eh…? GAAAAH!!!" He suddenly jumped away from the wolf girl; eyes practically the size of saucers and his face blushing like crazy. "WHAT THE… WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!?"

While the young outlander had been busy looking up at the water, San had removed her head band and fur cloak, along with all the upper portions of her clothing, leaving her very shapely breasts completely exposed for all to see. As her hands moved to towards the water, she looked up at Alex and stared at him, confused by his sudden outburst. "I'm just washing myself," she answered casually, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No there's nothing wrong with washing yourself!" Alex replied quickly, looking away from San and shielding his eyes with his hands, as well as hide his beet red face, "But you should've told me you were going to do that, so I could've left you alone!"

The young Wolf Girl raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side, "Why?" she asked. "Is bathing such an foreign concept where you come from? Humans bathe, don't they?"

"Yes, we do bathe," Alex answered, his face beginning to turn even more red. "We just don't do it in front of each other! Criminy! San, I know you were raised by wolves, but you could at least have some sense of modesty around a guy, you know!"

To this San couldn't help but laugh as she used her hands to cover her chest, "You really are a strange one, you know that, Alex?" she snickered a bit as she looked to him, "You can face me head on when I'm coming at you with a dagger, or stand bravely when I look at you with my brothers when we're about to kill you, and yet the moment I remove just enough articles of clothing, you suddenly go crazy."

"Well…" Alex replied, feeling embarrassed as he stole a glance at her, now seeing her cover her chest, "I just… you know… I, um…"

San was a bit confused at the way he was acting now. But then, the thought struck her as she gave him a half smirk and finished for him, "This is the first time you've seen a girl naked. isn't it?"

"Well, I uh…" Alex gulped as he finally answered, "Well, I never saw one quite so… naked."

"If seeing me naked upsets you so much, then go somewhere else and wait for me to finish bathing!" the young Wolf Princess shot back irritably, "You wanted to rest, I want to bathe. Or do you have a problem with that?"

"No, San, not in the least," Still keeping his face turned away, Alex stood up, slinging his supply sack over his shoulder, and began to walk away, "If you need me, I'll be over there."

"I think I can manage just fine without your help, Alex," San replied.

When the young outlander was no longer within her sight, San removed the rest of her gritty clothing and stood up looking at the water. If there was ever any doubt of how beautiful San was described in the legends, this was proof of that. Her body was physically fit; a slim and slender figure befitting that of a girl like her. Her skin was flawless, almost porcelain, with only small minor scars that didn't show very well. She was more than a wolf princess… if any girl-crazy guy was around, they would say she was a goddess. After she looked to see if the water was safe, she stepped down and lowered herself into the water until she was up to her neck.

The feeling of the cool liquid washing away the dirt and sweat she had picked up over the past day was beyond refreshing as it enveloped and caressed every inch of her bare skin. With a content breath of relief, the young Wolf Girl relaxed her muscles and leaned back so her body could just float idly on the water's surface, like a leaf that had fallen from a tree. She then swam over to one of the falls and dived underwater. After what felt like thirty seconds, she arose again, but this time, under the water fall. she stood up as she allowed the falling water to shower her body as she ran her fingers through her hair, getting all the dirt out of it.

After she was done, she sat in the water, letting herself sink to her shoulders. She sat on the rock as she sighed, and looked up at the canopy of the forest. 'I wonder what got him so agitated,' she thought to herself as she continued to sit in the water, gazing up at the sky. 'Maybe seeing me partially naked was too much for his little mind to handle.'

When her eyes then lowered to the slender form of her well-developed body, a sudden feeling of regret began to rush through her gut. 'Or Maybe he just thinks I'm ugly...... or perhaps even repulsive to look at.' She frowned at the thought. 'I am after all considered a monster by most humans, why should this one be any different?' She drew her arms around herself and brought her legs up as she looked away from her body for a moment, and at her reflection, 'I guess I can't help it… _I am _a monster to both the creatures of the Forest and to the Humans.'

She knew that despite the fact that she was Moro's daughter, San was never fully trusted by the other beasts of the forest. The Ape Tribe had made that all too clear when she was only a cub and that one of them said she looked like a human; furless and ugly. 'And yet… why do I feel like my heart was stabbed through? Or why was it beating so fast when he looked at me?' she stopped looking at herself, and back at the sky, "Why do I feel like this?"

She shook her head, getting those ridiculous thoughts out of her head. "Why do I even care?" she told herself almost half-upset. With a pained sigh, San scooted herself off the rock and back into the water, released the air from her lungs and let herself sink into the water, letting her thoughts go on in her head, 'Why can't I just understand him?'

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

"Why did she have to go and do that?" Alex thought to himself out loud as he sat cross legged on a grassy outcropping that stuck out over the water, looking at the scenery that lay in front of him, "I'm surprised my nose didn't start bleeding right there on the spot! Now _that _would have been embarrassing." He sighed as he leaned back and sighed, "I guess I can't really blame her, though. She was raised by wolves, after all."

He sighed again as he looked up at the tree he was sitting under, 'Oh well, what's done is done, I guess. No use crying over the fact that I completely screwed a perfect opportunity to see one of the hottest chicks I've ever met bare naked, making an ass of myself in the process.' He lowered the painting and cocked an eyebrow at what he just thought, "Where did _THAT_ come from?"he thought to himself aloud, grabbing his head as he started shaking it. 'Great! Now I'm becoming a complete pervert!'

Setting aside his thoughts at the moment, Alex laid down on the soft grass and stretching out his arms and legs. For what seemed like an eternity, he just continued to lay there, quietly and motionless as a rock. 'Still… ' he thought to himself, smiling despite himself, 'I've gotta admit, she was pretty good looking,' Upon realization of what he had just said, Alex slapped himself. 'Wha…? What did I just think?! No! I'm not thinking about her like that. Don't think about her like that! Not about San; not about her bod!' he relaxed a little as he sighed, wandering in his thoughts, 'Though I gotta admit… she's got a surprisingly fabulous figure. Slim waist, long legs, and pretty nice…' realizing what he was thinking, he shook his head as he shouted out, "DAMMIT!!!" He slapped himself again and shook his head madly his face going bright red, 'What's the matter with you, you sick, perverted… sicko!'

With an aggravated sigh, Alex pulled his jacket off and tied it around his waist once more. He then sat down and scowled at himself, crossing his arms as his mind scowled at what he had just thought. 'Why does everything have to be so difficult?' He laid down on his back, until he felt and heard the sound of paper being crunched. He sat right up as he heard the sound coming from him. "Huh? What the…?" He dug into his jacket pockets, and felt something. He pulled whatever it was out, and was amazed at what he saw. It was a comic book that he had long stuffed in his jacket pocket. It was entitled, The Incredible Hulk. "Whoa!" Alex smirked to himself, "I completely forgot I brought this with me when I left the house. Still in one piece too."

He was suddenly torn from his thoughts and his discovery by something slimy landing on his chest. Quickly dropping the comic his eyes and catching the object, the teenaged boy found himself looking at a freshly caught fish that was still twitching.

"You're wide open for an attack" said San, now fully clothed, but had her headband off as she dried her hair and moved towards a very started Alex and crouched beside him. "Had that fish been a dagger, you'd be dead right now."

"Thanks for the advice, San" Alex replied sarcastically with a half-smirk, picking up the fish and quickly rising to a sitting position. "And thanks for the gift." He held the fish up in front of him, cringing at the smell, "Just what I've always wanted. Dead fish."

"I remember you saying how hungry you were, so I went and caught this for you." When the young wolf girl saw that her human companion was just staring at the fish, she crossed her arms and glared at him, "Well?"

"Well what?" Alex asked, confused.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" San asked, pointing at the fish, "You did say you were hungry after all."

Alex just stared back at her, "You're kidding, right?" he pointed at the fish to make his statement, "I'm not gonna eat this. At least let me cook them; they're not even fully dead yet!"

"So?" San asked. "What's the difference? A fish is still a fish," She pushed the still twitching creature towards Alex's face, making him cringe in the process. "Try it, you might find the taste to be very satisfying."

Alex brought his hand up and pushed back on the fish, keeping it from coming any closer, "This coming from the girl that'll suck mouthfuls of blood fresh from the wound?" he then grimaced a little as he held his stomach, "'Sides, I think I lost my appetite."

With an irritated growl, San snatched away the fish. "Fine! If you're going to be picky about it, I'll just eat this myself!" Then without saying another word, she opened her mouth and bit a huge chunk out of this fish, chewed and swallowed, "Just don't come crying to me when your starving half to death." She grinned inwardly at the sight of Alex's nauseated expression.

But then something else caught her eye. Setting the remains of the fish aside, the young wolf girl reached over and picked up the comic that Alex had set aside. "What's this?" she asked as her large, chestnut eyes gazed at the beautifully amazingly detailed images within the pages, the irritation and hostility gone from her voice. She then looked up at Alex, and asked, "Did you make this?"

Alex shook his head, " Nah, a man named Stan Lee came up with that. It's called a comic book, San."

"A comic book," San repeated. "It looks so real......and yet so imagined." She returned her gaze to Alex, "Are other humans capable of doing this?"

"Many, many more," Alex answered, "Just not that many where I come from. But most of them are pretty famous; their stories are read by nearly everyone where I come from."

San looked at the pages, and stopped as she gazed at the strange human detailed on the pages. The human that she was looking at was what appeared to be the largest one she had ever seen in her life. He was as big as a giant, with muscles that would have made him impossible to move around, and his skin, hair, and eyes were the unnatural color of green. She looked puzzled at this as she pointed to him, and looked to Alex for the answer. "Who is this?" San asked politely as she could, "What sort of human is this?"

Alex looked to where San pointed at, and smirked as he answered, "Oh, that's the Incredible Hulk."

"The Hulk?" San asked, now more intrigued in this more than ever.

"He's basically the most powerful superhero in the fictional world of Marvel Comics." Alex then decided to explain the story, seeing San was being drawn into this. "It all started with a scientist named Bruce Banner," he then turned the page, showing a meek scientist of a man, "That's the Hulk's true identity, Doctor Bruce Banner, the very core of the Hulk himself."

"That weak human is the Hulk creature?" San asked, completely not believing this, "He looks easy enough to snap in half."

"Yeah, that's pretty much the whole deal with this," Alex answered as he explained further, "He was just an ordinary but brilliant human who was conducting an experiment with gamma radiation to strengthen human bodies from diseases. However, something went wrong with his experiment, and you might say the radiation did something wrong… or right to him. Now whenever he got stressed or angered, he'd transform into a nine foot, muscle-bound creature that his enemies, as well as the creature himself, called the Hulk. As the Hulk, he's got near-limitless strength, and when he gets even angrier, he gets stronger. He's also invincible to any physical harm whatsoever, heals any wound instantly, and is endurable to the max. Those also increase whenever he gets angry."

"So his strength comes from his rage?" San asked, cocking an eyebrow as she looked to Alex, "He must have the mind of a four-year-old human if he gets angry all the time."

"You might be right about that," Alex snickered. "But there's a downside: although the Hulk's a hero… he's pretty much feared not just by his enemies, but by the rest of the world."

This caught San's interest as she asked, "But why would humans fear their hero?"

"Because people, or humans, are always afraid of something that's just different than them." Alex pointed out. "Ya see, the Hulk's sort of a creature that just wants to be left alone. But like Frankenstein… everyone just wants to wave their torches at him and either drive him away or kill him. But no matter what, he just saves the day as always."

San looked at the Hulk and thought out loud, "I wonder what it's like to become something else other than a human."

"Why you ask that?" Alex asked, now interested.

"Take a look at me, Alex," the Wolf Princess stated as she looked to her human companion. "I'm a wolf of my tribe, and yet I was cursed to be in the form of a human." she looked away, feeling ashamed of showing weakness again as she hissed, "I despise myself because I'm not the same as my mother or brothers."

The teenaged outlander could tell that this was a touchy subject for San. He figured that seeing that she was raised by wolves, she would eventually believe she was a wolf. And the fact that she was human, due to her being raised the way she was and not being around any humans, she would probably assume she was hideous. So he sighed as he smirked, "Well… to be honest, San… I like you just the way you are now."

This earned a surprise reaction from San as she turned to look at Alex, "Wha…? What do you mean by that?"

"Just what I said." Alex turned towards San as he gave her a gentle smirk, "There's nothing wrong with just being the way that you are now." his smirk widened a bit as he stated, "Besides… what would you turn into? A female version of the Hulk? Sorry, but you just wouldn't fit with that beefy profile."

San just huffed at that, "Go to hell, human," and as she did, she caught sight of another creature in the comics. This one was five times bigger than the hulk, and had scaly skin, with bone protrusions on its body. She pondered at this as her eyebrows narrowed at this, "Who or what is this?"

Alex raised an eyebrow, and looked at where she pointed at. "Oh, that's Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination," Alex answered as he explained. "He's basically a soldier, who like Banner, was also mutated by gamma radiation. He's bigger and stronger than the Hulk is, but there's a difference. He doesn't get stronger when he gets angry, and he can't change back like Banner can." he then leaned on his knees as he pointed out, "And there's another difference between the two: Bruce was cursed with this power, but he doesn't want it. Though he needs it in order to save those he cares about. Blonsky wants the power, and enjoys using it to cause destruction."

"Your home sounds just as savage as mine is," San shivered. "How can you live in a place with creatures like these?"

Alex chuckled as he cleared up the misunderstanding, "The Hulk and Abomination aren't real, San. They're just make-believe characters in a work of fiction."

"Then why would humans read this?"

"Because people need a hero in their lives." Alex then pointed out a little tidbit of life's wisdom. "My Grandma always told me that she believed that there's a hero in everyone. They give others power, hope, even allow those to die with pride. And sometimes to do what's right, they need to be steady, and give up the things they want the most. Even their dreams." he sighed and wondered, "I think that's why people are drawn to those kind of stories… they can gain courage by listening to that kind of stuff."

After a moment of silence, San placed the comic book in Alex's lap and moved to spot directly across form him. "Okay, I'm ready," she said quietly.

"Ready?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Ready for what?"

"To hear your story," San answered, locking eyes with Alex. "Last night you promised me that you would tell me everything I wanted to know about yourself. And I think you've put it off for long enough, already."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "What, you mean… now?"

"You gave me your word, didn't you?" San replied, intensifying her gaze on the teenaged outlander sitting before her. "I think it's only fair that you keep it."

"I did, didn't I?" Alex crossed his arms and scowled, knowing that he was gonna berate himself later after this. 'I guess it's only fair that I tell her. I mean what's the harm? She is the Princess Mononoke after all.'

* * *

**Next Chapter: Demons in the Forest; Birth of a New Demon pt.2**


	16. Demon Hunt in the Forest pt2

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Demons Hunt in the Forest; Birth of a New Demon pt.2**

* * *

Alex rubbed his nose's brow as he mentally prepared to startle the Wolf Princess about who he was and where he came from. "Alright, San," he finally said. "But don't blame me if some of the stuff I tell you makes absolutely no sense, because in all truth, I'm still having a hard time believing most of it myself. That, and I'm not all that good with telling long stories."

"Just tell me, already," San retorted tersely, her inpatients once again getting the best of her. "I'm getting sick of waiting for you while you dance about the subject."

"Sorry about that," Alex apologized. "I'm just not really sure where to begin. Like I said, I've never really been good at telling stories. Especially when it come to the long ones"

"The Time Traveler," San said bluntly. "Why did the Forest King call you that?"

Alex hesitated for a moment before answering, "You really want to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Taking a deep breath, Alex considered his words very carefully before speaking. "It's because…" he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and could feel the fresh droplets of sweat rolling down his face. "It's because I'm not from this time period. In fact I'm not even from this century."

San just looked at him, more confused than ever as she calmly asked, "I don't understand."

"It all started when me and my family moved here in the future Japan. My dad had moved to our new home, near my aunt's shrine. He basically set up a suburban clinic; you know, the hospital that most people could afford to go to than the big expensive kinds that always bill people for their services. Despite the fact that we were in a foreign country, not knowing a lot of people there, things were pretty much steadily going normal for us. At least they were until the next morning, when we found that the old Sacred Tree had returned to life." He scratched the back of his head. "While I was wandering around it, I stumbled upon this cavern underneath it. Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, this bright light engulfed me."

"When I woke up the next morning, my home, the shrine, and even my family were all gone, as well as the whole suburban neighborhood to boot. At first I thought I was dreaming, or at least thought I slept walk to one of the nearby parks. That was before this old fortune-telling oracle told me that I had actually been tossed back seven hundred years into the past as punishment for disturbing the spirit of the God that was living in that tree I found. She told me that if I wanted to find a way back to my time, I should go to the western lands. That was nearly a month ago. I've been trekking it across Japan ever since." Alex sighed as the young teen looked away, "Man, it's already been a month. I'm pretty sure my family's worried sick. Bet my little sister, Karin's, crying her eyes out with fear for me."

Alex could see the skeptical look in his companion's face, but cleared it up as best he could, "To put all that jibber-jabber simply, I'm from the 20th century, I was thrown back to this time period as punishment, and I've been wondering across a warring and ancient Japan looking for a way to get back to my own time and home." he then sighed as his shoulders slouched in despair, "Doing a pretty lousy job too, I might add."

San was silent. Uncomfortably silent. Finally, after what seemed like and hour of just sitting their, contemplating what Alex had just told her she spoke again, "Is that… is that all true?"

"It's as true as all truths come, San," Alex answered, and saw the look on the wolf girl's face. "I know it's hard to believe, but what I'm telling you is the honest truth."

"How do I know that, Alex?" San asked, feeling a little skeptical on this, "Every human that I've ever encounter has either been a liar, a thief or a murderer. I'm not saying that you're either of these things, but you can understand why I might not be so quick to believe a story like that."

"Honestly, I don't blame you, San," Alex replied. "Like I said before, I'm still having a hard time believing all of it myself. In fact, sometimes I wish that I could pinch myself and wake up from this nightmare and be back in my bed, in my home again. Just wishing this was all some movie-induced dream."

"Is that why you've been searching for Shisha Gami?"

Alex frowned, then nodded. "Yeah," he said sullenly. "Someone, a wandering monk that looked like he hadn't bathed at all, told me that if anyone could help me it was this great Forest Spirit King, Shisha Gami that everyone talks about and want to get their hands on to kill." The look on his face suddenly shifted to a look of deep sorrow, "That's part of the reason why I'm here."

"Yes?" San asked tilting her head slightly, "And what's the other reason?"

Without saying another word, Alex placed his left hand on the golden yellow wrist chain that clung to his right wrist and clutched it tightly. Then, after taking a deep breath, the dark-haired teenager lifted it up to show to the Wolf Princess.

San suddenly found herself staring. Not sure what to make of it. As she looked upon the golden yellow, red jeweled wrist chain band that bound itself to Alex wrist, she could tell that he felt uneasy about showing to him.

"This," he said simply.

"What…" San began feeling her insides churning with disgust. I don't understand, Alex. What does that band have to do with…"

"It's holding at bay a curse inside me," Alex went silent for a few moments before answering. "While I was trying to find my family and home, I came across this small village that as out in the middle of nowhere. There was this thing... I don't really know how to describe it, but it looked liked something out of a Resident Evil video game. The villagers said that it was some kind of a demon. And being the selfless and reckless idiot that I am, I tried to stop it before it could reach their village to destroy it. Somehow, by some strange twist of fate, or by sheer dumb luck, I was able to kill it." He held up his hand and looked at it sadly, "And in the end, the curse that this band absorbed and keeps in check was the price that I paid. From the moment that demon scarred me with it, despite the holy band's best attempts to suppress it, it's been spreading over my body, gradually eating away at it."

The young outlander lowered his gaze to the ground, "Soon the curse will kill me......and then...... I'll become a demon altogether, both with the sludge that the demon's made of, and the metal of the wrist chain that saves my life." His breaths became short and filed with anguish, "I thought that Shisha Gami help me, but now......after seeing how much careless destruction the humans around have pulled..... I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

At that moment, San did something that she, nor the young outlander she accompanied, never thought she would ever do. Slowly, and very hesitantly, the young wolf-girl reached her hand towards the wrist chain on Alex's right wrist. When the red jewel was just barely a inch away, her hand suddenly froze as she felt the heat the gem mark gave off through her finger tips. And just for a second, it turned to look at her… and nearly frightening her and him… it blinked. Biting her lip she brought her first finger to the band and touched it gently. The metal felt smooth and cold, but it was pulsating like a heart would, and what made it even stranger, was that it was warm like fire. 'What sort of evil could do something this horrible?'

Then, without truly understanding what she was doing, San's fingers gently began to slide down the side of the Alex's face, moving down his hand and fingers, gently but tenderly caressing his skin as it made its way to his palm. She rested her hand in his as she looked . She then brought her eyes to meet Alex's only to see that his head was still facing the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Alex replied, his voice filled with pain and affliction, not to mention confusion as to San's attitude towards him.

"I'm sorry that his happened to you."

San suddenly felt Alex's fingers closing around her small hand, holding it as though all existence would end the moment they separated. When the boy finally raised his head, he locked eyes with her and smiled. An empty smile that cried out like a thousand tortured souls. The longer San looked at it, the more she could feel her own wolven heart beginning to shatter.

"Thanks, San" Alex said quietly.

Just then, ear-piercing sound suddenly shattered the air, as a large chunk of rock and dirt exploded only a few feet away from them. San, acting on pure reflex, grabbed Alex's arm and dashed for cover behind a large group of boulders. Two more explosions rang through the air, both missing the two young humans by mere inches.

**

* * *

**

**Not Too Far Away**

* * *

Making their way through the forest, Isaac scurried across the forest grounds. Following him was the girl, Rukia, calmly walking behind him, not even making a peep. This was kind of unnerving for the little fox-squirrel, considering that his master had sent another servant to help. He'd be happy to have additional help… anyone but _her_ at this time. He groaned as he jumped up on the first rock, and looked to his companion, "I understand why she felt like I needed help, but why send you? The human hating spirit?"

"She was worried the boy will lose his humanity," Rukia answered. "A mere human alone can't suppress such a monstrous aura. If he loses control… I will kill him."

"As I said, that boy's our only hope," Isaac complained, "Why are you so obsessed with killing the boy?"

"Because I detest humans, Isaaku…" her eyes narrowed to hated points, but then returned to normal as she finished, "That… and after what I heard happened to Lord Nago… no creature should live like that."

Isaac smirked as he looked to Rukia, "Ah, so you are concerned for Alex, arent ya?"

Just then, a loud bang was heard, alerting the two, "What was that?"

"Sounded like gunshots." Rukia furrowed her brow as, in a flash, she jumped over Isaac. Suddenly, a huge roaring sound, like a rocket, was heard, and Isaac saw that Rukia was out of there. Where she stood when she landed, the ground was scorched a little.

He wasted no time as well as in a flash of flame, he changed into his huge beast form and charged forward. As he did so, he silently prayed, 'Alex… Princess… you two'd better be alright….'

* * *

**Back with the Kids**

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" San asked, pressing her back against the rocky surface of the boulder they were heading behind.

"Well, it's either the fourth of July…," Alex answered, now back to his normal self, "… or somebody's trying to kill us!" another explosion shook the air, causing small pieces of rock to fall on him and San. "Yup, I think it's safe to say that somebody's trying to kill us."

At that moment the explosion stopped, leaving a vale of silence covering the area. Both the wolf-girl and the outlander shared a questioning glance with each other.

"I know you're there outlander!" the all too familiar voice of the guard-captain, Gonza bellowed from not too far away. "Surrender yourself and the wolf-whore… and I'll consider giving you both a quick death."

"Gonza? Is that you?" Alex shouted, confirming if it was him. All he got was a bullet shot that hit the rocks. "Yeah, it's him, alright."

"Do you hear us, Outlander!" a new voice came out. "I, Takemaru of Setsuna, challenge you to determine who possesses the stronger power!" he lifted his wrist, showing his wrist chain, "Like you, I do possess a cursed power! A power in which I intend to determine which one of us is more powerful!"

Alex glanced at San once again. When the only response she gave him was a tight-lipped scowl, he tilted his head over his shoulder and peered over the top of the boulder. There he saw the bearded man standing a good one hundred feet away, flanked by two orange-tunic wearing riflemen. With him was an unfamiliar samurai dressed in red and black armor; he figured that was the guy calling him out to a challenge, Takemaru. However, he noticed the samurai's right wrist, which had a similar wrist chain to his, 'Oh crap. Another cursed human. What is this, a convention?' Realizing this might not be a battle they could win, Alex decided to wing this. "How quick are we talking about?" he asked, much to the dismay of his companion.

Gonza chuckled, "Not too quick, I'm afraid!" he answered. "But I can promise you that you'll only have to suffer for a few short minutes!"

"However, if you reconsider my proposal," Takemaru called out. "Simply face me in combat, defeat me, and I'll consider letting you have your lives… for about a thirty-minute head start."

Alex mockingly thought that, and returned his attention to San, "Hmmm, sounds like a good deal, what do you say?

"Have you completely lost your mind?" San hissed, horrified that Alex would even consider such a thing.

"Nah, can't say I'm to hot about the idea either." After giving San one of his trade-mark smirks, he peered over the top of the rock again, "Sorry, but I think we'll pass on either one of those ideas." and after a few seconds on thought, he peered over again, "Oh and by the way, Gonza… that shaved-head and beard look you've got going makes you look like a pansy!" Before he could say another ward a fiery bullet was shot towards him, just barely missing his head.

"Shit!" he yelped, ducking for cover.

"You insolent piece of horse fodder!" a now enraged guard-captain shouted. 

Takemaru held his hand against Gonza, "He's just trying to goad you into being sloppy." he stepped forward a little, as he called out, "I wonder… Why did Lady Yashahime ever think that trash like you was worth bringing to our side in the war?"

"I've got a cute smile?" Alex said popping his head over the rock once again, pointing to his large grin to emphasize his point. He was suddenly yanked down by San, just in time to dodge the next flying projectile that had been aimed at his head. "What? My mom always told me I had a cute smile."

"What's the matter with you?" San asked, glaring at Alex. "Just moments ago you were ready to curl up into a ball and sob like an infant, and know you're acting like some half-witted clown!"

"Sorry. For me at this point, it's a spontaneous mood swing. My school's psychologist had a field day with it with a student that he was analyzing, two years ago." Another bullet struck the rock once more, raining down more dust and tiny chunks of stone fragments. "He probably would've used that guy as his guinea-pig to get that grant he'd been aching for… had the over-crazed cheerleader didn't try to stab him in the kneecap with his own pen."

More shots screeched through the air blasting another three chunks out of the boulders.

"We can't stay here much longer," said San, covering her head in an attempt to protect it from the pieces of falling rocks.

"But the moment we move from this spot, we're as good as dead," Alex replied. There's four of them, and only two of us. Need I mention that they have guns, and we don't have much in the long-range weaponry department?"

It was then that they heard a low growl coming from above them. The two looked up as they saw the most bizarre, yet terrifying things you ever seen. They didn't know what they were, but there were about six of them. They were dark skinned humanoid monsters, with clawed hind legs, elongated arms with sharp claws. They had huge red eyes, mouths filled with sharp jagged teeth, and moth-like antennas on their heads. On their backs, were black, red, and yellow demonic moth like wings. Whatever they were, they were just horrifying as they looked at San and Alex, allowing their whip like tongues to stick out and sway out, letting the drool drip down like rain.

Alex gulped at this as he sighed, looking away from it all, "Well, we're in very serious trouble."

"Well," the young Wolf Girl shot back viciously, "Seeing as how you're obviously the brains of our little two-person group, why don't _you _think of a way out of this?"

"I already have, San," Alex said calmly. "I'll distract them, while you high-tail it out of here."

"Are your crazy?" San asked, eyes doubling in size, "You won't last a single minute against them!"

"It's better than both of us dying." When Alex saw that his female companion was still not convinced, he gave her a confident grin, "Hey, didn't I tell you before that I'm a selfless idiot when it comes to losing situations?"

"Yes you did but…" She was suddenly silenced by Alex's finger pressed against her lips.

"Trust me, Princess," the teen boy said with an even bigger grin on his face, "When I'm through with these dorks, when they wake up, their clothes'll be out of style." As he was about to stand up, San grabbed his arm, stopping him from getting any further.

"Promise me!" she said, piercing his eyes with her own.

"Promise you what?"

"That you won't get yourself killed!"

Alex looked at the girl's face for a long time before nodding. "I promise, San." He playfully punched her cheek, "Besides, I still have all those favors I need to repay you for." Before San could stop him, the young outlander sprung form their hiding place, and ran for the forest.

"I told you! You don't have to repay anything!" San shouted out, severely annoyed at such a reminder.

As soon as he reached the forest's edge, he waved his hands madly, in hopes of getting Gonza and Takemaru's attention, "Hey beard-boy! Samurai Jack!" he taunted the two of them, "Did I happen to mention that both Lady Eboshi and Princess Yashahime both have fat, lop-sided asses?" The moment his last comment was spoken, the bullets started coming at him. "Alright… they want to kill me even further now," Alex sarcastically reassured himself. Feeling that his plan was working, Alex quickly made his way into the dense forest with the three rifle-armed men hot on his trail.

San watched as the four humans left and stood up from behind the boulder. "I was right about him all along," she said to herself. "He's a complete lunatic… and a fool." With that, she began running towards the tree-covered cliffs, away from where the humans had disappeared. However, as she did, she failed to notice two of the moth demon creatures chasing after her.

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

'CRAAAAP!' Alex cursed himself as he ran through the forest as fast as his legs would carry him. 'What the heck was I thinking? Have I completely lost my mind......again?' He jumped to one side, just into time to avoid the next ball of fire-red iron that had been fired at him.

He jumped and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, anything to get away from the riflemen, and those things. However, that wasn't the case as he looked behind him, and saw that samurai, Takemaru, was catching up to him. Oddly enough, he seemed to be going faster than Gonza and the riflemen would. He was even showing immense agility as well as speed, as he jumped ahead from tree to tree with inhuman prowess. This confirmed the boy's fears as he ran, 'Oh crap! He is cursed! He's becoming just as strong and fast as I was getting!'

The moth beasts jumped and glided over him, chasing after the outlander as they swooped down. Alex saw this, and being extra careful, summoned up a little of the demon's power within him. This caused him to get a little more speed in his legs as he was slowly getting away from them. But suddenly, the moths spat out some green slime, that when they struck either trees or the rocks, the slime would eat through them corrosively.

After seeing this, Alex shouted out hysterically, "Jeez! What's with the spitting?"

Doing so, unfortunately, caused him to topple over the side of a steep hill. Like lumpy ball of clay, the youth tumbled head over heals, rolling, bumping and scraping against thick roots and rocks, eventually hitting the ground with a painful crash.

'That…' Alex thought painfully to himself; his entire body crying out in pain. '… was way too familiar.' as he got up, he felt his wrist beginning to writhe with a burning pain as he held it. It began to convulge with pain; the flesh rippling as he took notice. The band's red gem was glowing intensely, but not fully enough as he recognized the danger of this, 'Oh, crap! My curse's getting riled up with all this going about! It must be because I'm in danger.' he remembered the last time when he was in danger; a dead samurai and a nearly destroyed village.

As he slowly began to stand, he felt the hot muzzle of a rifle being pressed against his back.

"Please don't move, young sir!" said a feeble voice from behind him. "You'll just be making things worse for yourself."

'Crap!' Alex cursed silently in his head. He looked over his shoulder and glanced at the small riflemen that held him captive. "I don't see how things could get any worse for me at this point."

"That's because they can't, outlander!" Gonza said as he and Takemaru made his way towards Nathan. As soon as he we standing in front of the youth, he drew his muscular arm back and punched him square in the gut, causing him to double over. "I knew that you were more trouble than you were worth from the very moment you set foot outside the walls of my Lady Eboshi's Iron-town."

Before Alex could respond or Gonza could torture the boy, Takemaru kicked him in the face. Takemaru scoffed at the boy, looking at him with disgust, "You possess the power of a demon? Pathetic, there are kittens that could make better prey than you would," he then smacked at the boy's face with his sword's casing, "All that power… and you don't have the resolve or the will to even use it. You're pathetic."

"But you managed to slime your way into my Lady's favor, manipulating her like a puppet!" He then kicked Alex before Takemaru took a crack out of him, but this time it was in his stomach, causing him to vomit. The bearded man wrinkled his nose at the smell of the freshly spilled bile. "Disgusting," he said, sneering at the gagging youth at his feet. He then looked at the two riflemen, "Stand him up!"

As Alex coughed and gagged on the sour taste that lined his mouth and throat, two pairs or hands grabbed him roughly be his arms and yanked him on to his feet. When he opened his eyes, Gonza's face filled his vision. He then looked at his wrist chain, and noticed the glowing was getting worse… much worse than before. If what he thought was true… the curse was beginning to reach the peak of its strength. Last time he remembered, his whole upper body was covered in armor; there was no telling what would happen if his whole body was covered in armor.

He looked to Gonza as he pleaded, "Gonza… please! You've gotta let me go…!"

"What's the matter, outlander?" Gonza said with a smirk, "No witty remarks left to say?" he punched Alex's face, causing his head to whip to one side, "No more demonic powers to fight with?" He punched the youth again, this time using an extra amount of force in the hit. "And now you're begging for your life?" Blood soon began to dribble from Alex's mouth and nose, "Now I and these men before me see the truth about you. You're nothing, outlander! Nothing but a piece of white-skinned trash!"

At that moment, Alex suddenly jerked his head upward and despite his mouth filling with blood, Alex pleaded once again, "You don't understand, Gonza! Something bad is gonna happen if this keeps up!" He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the next round of punches to pummel his face into the next century.

But much to the youth's surprise, the punches never came, not a single one. Instead Gonza, simply whipped out his lock rifle and began to walk away. He stopped as soon as there was a good amount of distance between him and Alex and raised rifle onto his shoulder. "I'll make this less painful for you outlander," he said gruffly, taking aim, "Tell me where the wolf-whore is!"

Coughing on his own blood, Alex narrowed his eyes and gave the bearded man his most glacial look. "You better pray that kills me," he whispered painfully. "Because the creature in me… is really pissed off now."

Gonza chuckled. "As you wish," he said as he pressed down on the rifle's firing mechanism.

* * *

**Back with San**

* * *

She was running and jumping as fast as she could, fully aware that she was being chased. Two of the moth beasts that she and Alex had spotted. He had mentioned that he would gain all their attention on himself, but it was to no avail if tow of them were after her. She cursed herself, "Dammit! I knew it was a mistake to just run off like that."

She stopped as she turned around, and drew her dagger out. "Come at me, you filthy demons!"

The first one shot straight towards her, swooping down and preparing to pounce and tear right through her. However, she expected this as she skidded to a halt, and turned around. She ran towards the beast as it was closing in on her. The beast shot out its claws, as it was prepared to drive them into her body. However, at the last second, when the two were nearly six inches apart… San crouched and rolled under it, but crouched to a halt as she plunged her dagger deep within the beast's neck, slashing it down to its belly. The beast howled in pain as it crashed to the ground; its guts splattered next to it with blood pouring out of the wound.

The Wolf Princess turned around to finish off the other beast, but she wasn't prepared yet. The second beast was already charging right at her, with no time to attack. As San was frozen with shock, a massive flaming object charged at the creature sending it flying towards a tree. The beast flailed and screamed in pain as its flesh was burning like crazy, almost too fast for any ordinary fire to do such a thing.

San watched the beast as it flailed around, the screaming finally dying down as the beast's remains were only a charred skeleton. "By the Gods…" San whispered to herself in shocked surprise. "But who did…?" she turned, hearing the crackling of fire to her right, and couldn't believe what she saw.

She was before a girl, around her age, but wasn't appeared to be human. Her skin was as pale as the moonlight, and she had short, fiery red and yellow hair that whipped in the air, with two long thin ponytails with the ends flaming. The image gave away the illusion of tail feathers of a phoenix. She was wearing a white sleeveless yukata shirt, with her back exposed from neck to her waist, with the collar colored white, as was the left side, with the other side was fiery red, with a burning white sash belt with a golden glyph buckle, creating the image of a fire tail of sorts. She wore a skirt of the exact same color scheme, except the right side reached to her knee, while the left side reached to her hip. Her legs were covered in black skin tight stockings, with on her feet were golden bands that looked like sandals. She had four arms covered in black shoulder gloves, and instead of hands, she had four gold rings that had five flaming claws that acted as her hands and her fingers. And finally, her eyes were as green as emeralds.

"Who…?" the Wolf Girl stammered, as she was somewhat terrified and captivated of such a beautiful creature among her. "Who are you?"

Suddenly, the girl's appearance shifted, until finally, she resembled a normal human in a flash of red flame. As the flame died out, in the stranger's place was a sixteen-year-old girl, Asian descent, pale skin with a slim and slender figure that could rival the Wolf Princess's. her hair was raven black, short with only her bangs going to her shoulders, and two thin long ponytails braided, ending in two little tussles; her eyes were violet and sharp, showing her slightly emotionless in her physical appearance. She was dressed in a sleeveless yukata shirt, with her back exposed from neck to her waist, with the collar colored black, as was the left side, while the other side was red, with a black sash belt tied around her waist, with a skirt that was long on her right and short on her left. Her legs seemed to be in what were black stockings, with only sole-less and toeless moccasins, exposing her toes and heel out.

Surprisingly, the girl bowed before her as she answered, "My name is Rukia, a Fire Spirit servant to Lady Otohime." she looked up to her as Rukia finished, "I was sent here as bodyguard to the boy who was accompanying you."

"Alex?" this was becoming even more confusing to the Wolf Princess. But before she did anything to ask her, they both heard a gurgling sound. It was coming from the demon that San had gutted, but still twitched with life. San walked over to the creature, glaring daggers at it. The beast reached out to her, either begging for its life or trying to finish what it was sent to do. So San granted it a request: she stamped hard onto its head, crushing its head, killing it off. She looked at it in anger as she cursed it, "Foul demon! That's only what you deserve."

"That demon was once human, Princess," Rukia replied to her, catching san's attention.

San looked at Rukia in shock, and then back at the demon to confirm such a crazy answer, "This was… this was a human? But how…?"

"A cursed human… who allowed his curse to take his human soul and make him a monster." Rukia looked at the moth demon with disgust as she muttered, "It seems he went so far, that he couldn't change back. I'm pretty sure after he transformed the human barely remembered it ever was a human."

The look of shock on the Wolf Girl's face went unnoticed by Rukia at this time. She looked at the fire spirit, and then back the moth demon, and wondered silently with fear. 'If that's true… will this be Alex's fate if his curse is unleashed…?'

BOOM!

The sound of a rifle being shot at, echoed all around the forest, surprising the two girls from the corpses of the dead demons. The moment the sound of gunfire touched her ears, San suddenly froze and spun around to face the direction of which it had originated and listened. As the moments passed, all she could heart was silence.

Dead, lifeless silence. A chill began to sweep over San's body, solidifying every drop of blood in her veins like a poison. When no other sounds of gunfire followed the first one, it was then that she knew for certain that something was definitely wrong. Her heart began to pound in her chest like a drum when a sudden realization stuck her. The only time the humans had ever ceased fire was when they had been ordered to.......

Or when they had finally stuck their target.

* * *

**Back with Alex**

* * *

Alex collapsed to his knees, pressing his hands against the bullet wound on the left side of his chest, in a hopeless attempt to stop the gushing flow of blood that poured from it. His head felt heavy and throbbed with a hideous buzz that left every one of his senses numb and useless. As he felt the life draining from his body he looked up at a blurry Gonza and Takemaru, who both of them were sneering triumphantly at him. The youth's lips suddenly began to twist as he forced four small words to escape his tightly clenched throat, "Big… mistake… you… t…." he whispered before he could no longer support his own weight and fell forward. He didn't move again.

For a while the three men remained silent, each one sharing a quick look with one another and then glancing at the dead youth that lay on the ground. The men walked away from their target, with the demons simply sniffing at the boy's carcass. Had the men stayed and watched, they would have noticed the gold band suddenly allowed the black ooze to nearly and quickly creep up the boy's body, making it skin tight, almost looking like he was wearing nothing at all underneath. Then the golden band sprouted out tentacles that wrapped around the boy's body. And as it did this, Alex's eyes opened wide, revealing them to be completely black, with only golden yellow irises showing.

With a scoffing laugh, Gonza handed one of the riflemen a knife and sack. "Bag the head," he said casually. We'll be heading back to Iron-Town shortly."

The rifleman said nothing, but nodded silently as he took the two objects from his superior. Takemaru seemed disappointed as he sighed and looked away, "It's a shame. I would've loved to kill him with my own hands."

Gonza turned around and saw that his second riflemen was supporting himself on a tree. The man was breathing heavily, and his eyes were nearly bulging from their sockets. His face was pale and covered with sweat.

"I know what you're thinking," Gonza said, placing his hand on the riflemen's shoulder, "But believe me when I say that there was no other way."

"Forgive me. Sir," the man said between breaths. "But are you certain of that? I know that what he did to Lady Eboshi was wrong but.........but he was just a boy. We just killed a boy that was only a few years younger than my own son before....... before he was....." he suddenly broke down into a fit of sobs. "The Gods will never be able to forgive us for this. We've become muder..." Gonza's fingers were suddenly wrapped around the man's throat.

"No!" the guard-captain shouted. "We did this to preserve the honor of our Lady Eboshi! Never forget what she has done for you! Never forget what she has done for all of…"

A horrible, blood curdling scream of agony suddenly ripped through the air, echoing through the trees like an evil wind. When the men turned around, they saw that the demons were running away from where the dead outlander should have been. However, they spotted the only remaining demon being pulled back by the long chain around its neck.. The beast tried to pull away with all its might. It clawed at the ground, but whatever it was that was pulling at it was much stronger than it was. Until finally, it was pulled into a shadowy area. Afterwards, more screams came, followed by the sounds of flesh being torn to pieces and a cry of rage, too horrible to for mere words to describe.

And then all became silent.

The four men looked at the darkened area, hoping to see whatever it was come out and shoot at it. However, what came first nearly had them jump in fright. Suddenly, the demon that had been pulled back, was thrown over them with a powerful force behind it, that when it struck a tree, it took out a huge chunk of it on the side, causing it to topple over, and crush the beast finally.

As if on cue, something jumped out from the shadows, and landed in front of them, nearly shaking the ground. From what they saw, it was the outlander, only his appearance had changed completely.

Alex's whole body, from neck to feet, was covered in the skin tight black ooze film. He had a golden yellow neckpiece that was around his neck, looking like a necklace of sorts. His chest and back were protected by what looked like a golden yellow skin tight vest on, with the front opened, and the back opening up to a V of sorts. Where his shoulders connected to his body, two one foot horns shot up. His right arm was encased in a skin tight golden yellow armor. His shoulder was in a spherical shoulder guard. His bicep was covered in a golden yellow armor as well, but the line detailing his muscle was showing to be the black ooze. His forearm was three times bigger than ever, with two tusk blades stuck out from where the elbow was. His right hand was also armored in detail, almost looking cybernetic' the inside and the palm were both covered in the black ooze film armor, and the gem had fused into the right wrist, changing from red to a glowing topaz color. His left shoulder was armored in golden yellow armor shaped like a jacket shoulder, and on his forearm was a golden yellow armored armguard, as well as a left armored glove, similar to his right one, except it had five fingers and lacked the topaz gem. Around his waist, was a golden belt of sorts with no buckle, only two black holes on both sides, resembling the shape of a buckle. His thighs were covered in the same skin tight golden yellow armor as well, but it left an opening on the outer part, showing the black ooze film. The greaves were skin tight as well, but on the knee was a sharp black ooze armor that stuck out, and on the back and sides, opened up to show the black ooze film yet again. On the left side of his waist and the back side, an orange furred shawl was there, reaching and covering the knee part. On his feet, the same skin tight black ooze was there as well, but had enlarged golden yellow armored heel guards, and the toes had toe guards as well, but with the toes armored up to look like the toes had become hooves in some way. On the right shoulder now, was also a dangled orange fur cape, similar to San's, only it looked like a scarf than a cape. His hair had turned sandy orange, and had grown in the back a little reaching down to his neck. The same glyph marks appeared under his eyes, and his right eye again, showed it had gone black, and the pupil gone golden yellow… like Nago's.

The men backed away, all but Takemaru, who looked at the boy like he was suddenly happy. For in front of him, in his point of view, was the opponent to end all opponents. A creature that he could finally have joy in fighting against.

"What the hell are you?" Gonza asked before Alex, in his new form, finally savagely roared out and charged straight at them all.

They immediately bolted as fast as they could, but Takemaru stood there, as Alex past him. The riflemen ran for their lives, with Gonza way in the lead. After they had gained some distance from him, the riflemen stopped, turned around, and immediately fired their rifles at the outlander.

Alex stopped as he was hit, dead on in the chest by the two bullets. However, considering that they were two shots hit him, they figured he would go down, but he didn't. he just stood there, looking at where he was shot, and everyone saw the bullets just fall down to his feet, and the dents made by the bullets healed themselves until it looked like nothing happened.

Alex looked at the two riflemen, and snarled viciously; a look of rage on the boy's face. And then, the boy spoke in his own voice, but it growled like an animal as he gritted his teeth together, "**THAT… HURT!**"

He then charged forward them again, and this time he showed off what monstrous strength he possessed. Ran after the men as they ran screaming, he smashed his fists and elbows into the trees that got in his way. The trees that he punched through fell down behind him like dominos, and the trees that were still standing, looked like a cannon had fired on them. As Alex's demonic form raced after the men, the remaining demons, having gathered enough savagery, dived right at him and dog piled on him. This gave the men enough time to reload their rifles, but not enough time apparently.

Alex was able to kick one of the demons down with his foot, as the beast thrashed with the boy's foot on his neck. And without much effort for him, the boy stomped down, breaking the beast's neck, killing it instantly. The other two, he lifted up off their feet by their necks. They thrashed and roared as they tried to hit the boy as much as they could. But the boy, in his enraged state, only seemed to get pissed off by this resistance. He was getting royally fed up with this, as he threw the two demons, straight forward in the sky. They crashed hard into the trees, breaking off branches, as they fell down to the ground. The demons, were left high up, as the broken end of the trees were sticking through their corpses.

Now that the demon had been distracted, the riflemen shot at him. But instead of with their bullets, they fired a huge amount of flames at him, not only engulfing him, but almost one yard of the forest with him. He shielded himself as the flames bathed over him, burning everything around him. The riflemen holstered their rifles, awaiting to see their handiwork. However, all the color in their faces faded as they heard the boy's voice from within the fire, "**LEAVE ME ALONE….**"

The riflemen attempted to reload their weapons once again. But this time, Alex wasn't about to let that happen. He hopped over to one of the massive boulders that stuck out, bigger than him or the riflemen, and with both his hands, he lifted it off the ground. And then he threw it at them like it was a softball. As it crashed into the ground, it hit one of the riflemen, crushing him, and sending the other one sprawling hard on the ground.

Gonza at this time, had taken refuge up a tree to gain a better angle at the outlander. As the boy didn't notice this, Gonza had the perfect chance to shoot the boy, and took it. The matchstick went off, and the rifle fired at the boy, as he turned his head towards the sound of the clicking sound. The bullet hit him square in the head, sending him smack on the ground.

Gonza shouted in triumph, "AHAHAHAHAHA! I guess you weren't so invincible, were you?" but then his worst fears came as he saw the outlander getting back up. "No… it's not possible!" Gonza nearly shouted as he paled at this.

Alex got back on his feet, and cracked his neck. Then finally, after wrestling something in his mouth, he finally spat it out. And dropping to the ground, was the very bullet that Gonza had shot right at him.

Alex stood where he was as he looked up to where Gonza was, still sneering at the guard-captain as though he had not even heard the invitation to kill him. But then his expression began to change into a look of pure fury. The expression intensified as he leaned forward, arching his back like a cobra before striking it's prey, his hands balled into tight fists as he raised them high over his head. As he readied the final blow, strange winds wailed around him. The ground started to shake as well, cracking and rising in uneven ripples.

A high-pitched humming sound was now resonating from deep within Alex's fists, growing louder and higher with every passing second. The winds too picked up in force, causing the surrounding trees to sway dangerously from side to side.

'Forgive me, my Lady,' Gonza said to himself, shielding his eyes for whatever force as about to strike. 'For I have failed you, once again.' that was the last thing that passed through his mind before Alex slammed his fists into the ground, and an earth-shattering surge swept across the land.

* * *

**Not Too Far Away **

* * *

Never before had San nor Rukia heard such a terrible sound, nor had either girl ever witnessed a blast wave so destructive. As she tried to steady herself on the shaking ground, she shielded her eyes in an attempt to block the light. Winds more powerful than anything San had thought possible shrieked past her, whipping through her clothing and hair. 'What's happening?' she thought desperately to herself, trying to take another step forward.

At that moment, an explosion of devastating power suddenly erupted from the blinding pandemonium's unseen core, tearing apart the surrounding forest like a blender. No longer able to maintain her footing, San and Rukia were both suddenly thrown violently back by the massive force of the explosion, rendering the two girls unconscious.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Mercy of Shisha-Gami; the Armies are Rising**


	17. Mercy of ShishaGami, King of Spirits

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Mercy of Shisha-Gami; the Armies are Rising**

* * *

**Back with San**

* * *

The moment San regained conciseness, she was overwhelmed by the intense pain that pounded against her skull. As she woke up, she saw Rukia kneeling beside her as the fire spirit asked, "Princess Mononoke…" San slowly got up as Rukia stood up. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live, but I thought I would've died from that." The wolf girl groaned before finally pushing herself off the ground and onto her feet. "What was that?" As she slowly rose to a standing position, her blurry eyes soon began to focus, allowing her to see clearly once again. When the last of the blurriness subsided, San suddenly found herself short of breath.

Everywhere she looked, she could see the destruction that had been brought upon by the mysterious cataclysm. Trees that had once stood like ancient towers now lay toppled over one another, while others stood teetering at odd angles, ready to join their fallen brethren. Solid earth was now broken and cracked in uneven hills that had been uplifted by the cataclysm's devastating force. The sounds of terrified birds and animals plagued the air like a horrible chorus.

Never before had San seen such horrible destruction. The only thing that could even come close to something such as this was when the human's of the gun-woman's Iron-town had burned away the forest that had covered the mountains near the lake. The young wolf girl staggered forward, feeling the burning in her muscles crying out to her with her every movement. 'What.…' she thought to herself as she supported herself against a tree that was still standing. 'What force could have possibly caused this sort of destruction?'

Rukia looked around as she closed her eyes, sensing the forest's aura. And then for a moment, she opened her eyes as she looked to San, "Princess. I think the human's somewhere near the center."

"Wha…?" San suddenly snapped out of it to turn towards Rukia.

"The one called Alex."

The Wolf Princess nodded, "Right. We should find him. You'll probably need to speak with him with whatever matter Otohime wishes to speak with him about." The Wolf Princess and the Fire Spirit then traversed through the destroyed section of the forest, in search of their male human companion… as well as the one that caused such destruction.

San felt a shudder creep over her flesh as she continued to make her way towards what she could only guess was the heart of the destruction. With every step she and her newest companion took, the young wolf girl noticed that the damage to the forest gradually began worsen to the point where they both found themselves being forced to climb over one enormous slope after another. After climbing over the fourth one, the two stopped and San collapsed to her knees, panting and sweating with exhaustion, while Rukia continued to survey the area. When she looked up and saw that there was a break in the forest only a few hundred more steps ahead, she felt another shudder pass over her. For San knew from perfect memory of these woods that there should have been forest well beyond that break. Something was not right here, not at all.

A gentle clattering suddenly broke both Rukia and San's attention away from either one of their troubled thoughts. Upon instantly recognizing the sound, the Wolf Girl and Fire Spirit looked down and saw one of the tiny kodama jumping up and down just a few inches in front of them. Its round face was filled with a look of alarm and terror as it continued to jump about.

"I know, little one," San said tenderly, smiling at the little spirit. "So much forest has been destroyed. It's horrible." The creature began to run towards the break in the forest, waving its tiny arms in the air as if gesturing for the two girls to follow it. "What is it? Is there something over there you want to show us?"

The kodama's head spun around and clattered in response, before it bounded off towards the center of all the destruction. A very curious Princess Mononoke was soon following close behind. Rukia, while looking around for a moment, narrowed her eyes in thought, 'This destruction… and the way the kodama are acting… this was exactly like the other forests I went to that were visited by Nago when he was slowly becoming a demon...' however, she shook it off as she left to follow after Princess Mononoke. When they finally reached the edge of where the forest suddenly ended, San could only stare at the sight that lay before her.

Spanning nearly a hundred feet in diameter, where lush forest had once stood, was a gaping crater that lay deep in the earth, open and broken with so many dead trees. To the forest, it was like an open wound with so much damage, unable to heal and not capable of being saved at all. The intense force of the cataclysm had literally carved a chunk out of the land, leaving nothing but broken trees, exposed rock, and dirt.

As San continued to behold the horrible sight, a sickened feeling began to sweep over her. "Did the humans do this?" she asked herself, unable to stop her body from shaking. "Do they now possess a power greater than even their guns? Were those disgusting tools of human craft not enough to appease their hunger for destruction?" Sickness soon turned to anger. "Damn them! Damn them all! "

Hearing San's hatred through her heart, for the first time ever, Rukia looked to San saddened. "Humans aren't the only destructive creatures, Princess." Rukia finally spoke out as she looked to the broken land now, "There are spirits that are even more destructive and cruel to this world."

San turned to look at Rukia, confused and lost as she asked, "What do you mean by that? The only creatures that I know that could do this are the humans."

The kodama clattered it's head, jumping frantically as it had done so before.

"What is it now?" San asked, glancing at the tiny spirit, "You want us to follow you still?"

The kodama clattered again and started down the rocky slope that curved inward towards the crater's center.

"Hey wait!" San called out to the descending creature as she and her spirit colleague took off after it. They dug their feet into the slope in an attempt to maintain her balance as she proceeded to slide down towards whatever it was that the kodama wanted to show her. She soon noticed the sounds of even more Kodama beginning to grow louder the more she progressed onward. When the surface of the crater started to flatten out, the wolf girl quickened her speed, drawing nearer to the crater's heart. Rukia, on the other hand, stayed where she was, for after a quick look around, she knew what wrought this destruction.

* * *

**Back With San**

* * *

Before long, the wolf girl found what looked like several dozen kodama huddled around some unseen object, jumping about and clattering their heads in a frenzied uproar. San stopped in her tracks and eyed the strange sight curiously. Never before had she seen the kodama act this way. The tiny spirits were for the most part very docile by nature, and getting just one riled up was a challenge in itself. But to get a whole group worked up was something the young wolf girl had never thought she would ever see.

When the frazzled kodama finally caught site of San, they stopped clattering their heads and slowly moved away from the object of their attention. At that moment, San felt the blood drain from her face, for standing in the center of the destruction, was a demon clad in golden yellow and black armor, and what appeared to be boar fur hide.

After seeing the kodama all frazzled around him, and seeing the creature's presence, led only one thing in San's mind. This creature, this… demon, had caused all the destruction. Snarling, San looked to him as she pulled out her dagger, "Demon! You caused this!" She charged right at the creature, screaming at the top of her lungs. But just as she was about to pierce his side, the creature turned around… to reveal it to be Alex himself.

San stopped herself as she was nearly five feet from him, her dagger still in her hands. She looked at him, with complete shock, at seeing him in this form. "Alex?" It was then that she remembered what Alex had told her about his curse. It was then she stood herself straight, and looked at him with a mixture of fear and shock, "Alex? Is that you?"

Alex, unable to answer her, just stared at her hardened for a moment. But then she slowly but surely, walked towards him. This caused Alex to snap out of it as he stepped back, looking at her fearful and holding his hand up. "San, don't!" Alex replied, speaking in his normal voice, "Don't come any closer."

"Alex, don't worry," San said, this time using a calm tone as she put her dagger away. "It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"But _I_ might," Alex defended, causing the wolf girl to stop. "I was only able to regain control after that blast wave. I don't know how long it'll be before I lose control again!" Seeing that San wasn't listening and just continued towards him, Alex shouted, "SAN, PLEASE! STOP!"

But suddenly, a samurai blade was shot through his armored chest, directly to where Gonza had shot him in. Alex's face was contorted in an emotion of shock and surprise. At this point, all the air escaped his lungs, as he bit down hard; his teeth clenching as a droplet of blood came down the edge of his mouth. San stood there, as she too was shocked at seeing this… but was replaced with a look of fear for the young outlander.

The owner of the sword stood behind Alex with his head down. It was Takemaru, but this time, his arm, like Alex and Yashahime's, was covered in the same black ooze film. And this time, it was sporting armor as well. This armor was a black type of armor, with the shoulder pad resembling a samurai's shoulder guard, with it being triangular than rectangular. The forearm was covered in a skin tight black forearm guard, with six blades in two rows. And on the hand, five claw points were on the knuckles, as well as the fingers ending at claws. Takemaru twisted the blade, making Alex feel the pain and cough out blood, much to San's horror.

"All it took was that wolf-whore to show up to let your guard down." Takemaru taunted as he looked up, showing to San's horror, that his left eye had become black and the iris red. "I knew that if I'd bide my time, and let you finish Gonza and his men, you would eventually drop your guard and allow me to finish you off." he then twisted the blade, adding more pain to the boy as he continued to taunt, "In the end, for me, there can only be one with this power… and that is me!" he then finished by slashing through the boy's side, making the wound deeper.

Alex shouted out in pain as he nearly collapsed on his knees. "ALEX!" San shouted as she started towards him.

But before she did, Alex stopped himself, and turned around, delivering a powerful round house kick to Takemaru's face. This kick shattered his helmet, but the samurai still stood as he balanced himself out. However, one of the pieces of his helmet had slashed at his left eye, leaving a scar there, and bleeding as he closed his eyelids tight shut. The two cursed individuals, the bandit samurai and the time traveling teenager, stood inches away from one another, almost on the verge of tearing each other apart.

Takemaru taunted as he smirked, letting blood trip down his mouth, "Is that it, outlander? Is that the best you can do?"

Alex snarled as he replied, "No… it isn't," Balling up his right fist, he delivered a powerful front fist punch to Takemaru's chest. The force and power of the punch sent Takemaru, skidding across the ground violently, until he crashed face first into a boulder. Afterwards, Takemaru's lifeless body fell to the ground, like a lumpy sack of potatoes.

Alex breathed heavily and held his bleeding chest with his hand. Suddenly, he doubled over in pain as he fell to his knees, and fell to the ground finally. When he did, the armor, black film and golden yellow armor and all, were sucked back into the wrist chain, returning Alex back to normal, clothing and appearance in all. He laid sprawled out on his back, a pool of blood slowly flowing from the hole left by the iron bullet that had been shot through his mid-section. The oval of his outlandish face was pale, and badly bruised. His eyes were shut, and his mouth was half open.

He wasn't moving.

"Alex?" San whispered, her body beginning to shake. When she regained control of her muscles after seeing such power from either one of the two, the wolf girl rushed towards the motionless human lying in the dirt and fell to her knees at his side. She touched her hand to the youth's mouth, checking to see whether or not he was still breathing.

A faint smile of relief crossed her face when she felt the light touch of warm breath brush against her palm. 'He's still alive!' She then brought her hand to Alex's shoulder and shook it gently. "Hey," she whispered, "Come on, Alex! Wake up."

The young outlander's eyes twitched before slowly opening one at a time. A painful cough soon followed, causing his weakened body to jerk violently. His head felt heavy, as though it had been filled to the brim with molten lead. As he opened his eyes a little more, a burning glare filled his pupils, causing his eyelids to shut tightly like two pairs of iron gates. He could feel the demon marks throbbing all over his body, spreading further over his sweltering flesh.

When the young wolf girl saw the agony that plagued her companion's body, she felt her insides twist over themselves. "Don't try to move," she said soothingly, placing her hand on Alex's head. "You'll only worsen the pain." She move to a spot behind the young human and gently placed his head in the crook of her crossed legs.

The feeling of San's hands on his face felt like a rush of healing cold water washing over his skin. When Alex opened his eyes once more, his hazy vision became filled with San's face.

"Please," the Princess Mononoke whispered. "Say something. Anything at all."

Through clenched teeth, Alex was only able to murmur a single three word, sentence. ".... My chest… seriously hurts… at this point… in time."

San smiled despite herself and wrapped her arms around the dark-haired youth's neck, hugging him. "I know," she said. "and I'm sorry that I couldn't stop this from happening."

"… it's not your.....fault, San," Alex replied quietly, trying to return the smile. "They... they probably would've killed you too..... had you stuck around." He let his head fall to one side allowing him to see damage he himself had caused, "I really..... made a mess..... this time, didn't I?"

San's eyes widened, "You mean… ?" She was almost too afraid to go on. "…you mean that you really did do this? She looked up from the exhausted human and glanced at the crater that surrounded them, "How can that be?"

"The wrist chain band," Alex answered, his voice starting to become frail. "Whenever something... Gets me angry, excited, or even gets my hatred flowing to a certain point… the curse goes completely nuts. The armor, I think, is meant to hold it at bay. But now I think it's becoming more like a symbiotic parasite. A creature… a creature that needs a host body, and shows up as that armor in order… to make me into a human meat puppet."

He stopped for a moment to regain his breath. "When it appears on me, changing me, it's like… it's like something else is controlling me......controlling my movements..... acting on its own free will." he suddenly gasped as an agonizing twinge shot through him. When he felt San's tender hand once again resting on his head, the pain seemed to subside, and he continued to speak again. "When the power takes over... horrible things happen......people end up getting hurt.....or worse… all because I can't control it… now that it's at full force… it's becoming impossible." He closed his eyes and frowned. "Now there's nothing I can do about it...... except watch helplessly as this monster inside of me uses my body like a weapon. Just like Yashahime said I would."

"Shhhh," San said gently, leaning forward and pressing her forehead to Alex's. "It's alright. You're not the one to blame for what this monster has done."

Surprised by San's sudden show of compassion, Alex tilted his head so that his eyes met hers. "What makes you so certain?" he asked, "You've barely known me for a day."

San smiled, "I thinks that's all the time I needed," she answered. "And besides, you're too kind and soft-hearted to be a killer."

"Not that it really would make any difference," A gruff voice snarled. When San jerked her head upward to meet the face of the voice's master, she found herself staring down the barrel of a rifle.

Gonza stood just a few meter's away from San and Alex, his freshly loaded rifle resting on his shoulder and ready to fire, along with the other rifleman that survived Alex's demon-armored attack. His black clothing was now torn and soaked with blood, as was his muscular face and beard. His jaw tightened as he took another step towards the two young human teens. "Because by the time the sun reaches its highest peak in the sky, both of you will be dead!"

San gently set Alex down as she leapt to her feet and crouched over Alex's immobile body protectively. "Take one step closer human," she growled, her eyes blazing with rage, "and I'll tear you to pieces!"

"I wouldn't count on it wolf-whore," the guard-captain sneered. My rifle is aimed right at that disgusting face of yours, ready to put a bullet between your eyes." However, he moved his gun towards Alex's form as he stated, "Though I think it would be best if I killed him off instead. He was right; I should have made sure to kill him off the first chance I had." His expression then went a little pale as he stated, "He has to die, pure and simple! Or he'll not only destroy this forest, but Iron Town as well!"

"Try it, human!" San taunted the guard-captain. "I'll take any challenge you throw at me!"

"Even when the odds are clearly against you?" Gonza chuckled.

"Odds mean nothing to me, human!" the wolf girl hissed, her eyes narrowing. "I won't let you or your companions kill him, even if it means that I have to die stopping you!"

Gonza laughed, "My Lady Eboshi was right about you, wolf-whore," he said. "You're either very courageous or very

Suicidal." He steadied his grip on the rifle, keeping the muzzle aimed at San's head. "Let's see which one of the two you truly are!"

San arched her back, ready to pounce on the bearded man. However the pounce never came. Instead a fiendish smile stretched across her lips.

"And just what are you smiling at, wolf-whore?" Gonza said harshly.

"I'm smiling, human," San retorted, "… because you're now exactly where I want you to be."

Gonza raised an eyebrow, "What are you..…" the man suddenly froze in mid-sentence when he heard the sounds of deep growling behind him. When he slowly looked over his shoulder his eyes grew wide with horror. For standing behind him were the two cubs of the Wolf-God Moro. The white fur of their coats stood on end as their greenish eyes glared at the trembling human before them.

"You and your friend only have two shots in those guns, human," San smirked, rising to her feet. "And even if you could manage to kill me, you'd never have enough time to reload and kill my brothers before they devour you where you stand."

"Damn you," Gonza muttered, dropping the rifle to the ground, the other surviving gunman doing the same. He then returned his attention to the wolf-girl who was now approaching him. "Are you going to kill us now?" he asked, trying to maintain some level of his dignity as a warrior, "Perhaps use my remains, as well as Takemaru's in some heathen ritual to appease you beastly-Gods?"

San sniffed curtly at the man. "No," she said simply. "I want you to take this message to your beloved gun-woman." She stepped closer, "Tell her that the next time we meet, her blood will stain my dagger!"

Gonza smirked, "Not before you blood stains my Lady's." With that, the guard-captain picked up his rifle and looked to the other man, "Get Takemaru and let's get out of here." the gunman did so. San allowed this as she let the rifleman take the battered body of the samurai. And with that, the two men ran towards the lip of the crater, scrambling over the slope and disappearing over the edge.

"We shall see, human," San said silently. She then turned towards her two wolven brothers who were now making their way towards her. A bright smile soon filled her young face. "Kiba!" she cried happily, "Tsume!" She ran to her two brothers and gave each one the tightest hug she could give, clinging to them as though they would disappear the moment she let go, "What are you both doing here?"

"A strange earthquake suddenly burst from the forest," Kiba said calmly. "We had no idea what it was or what had caused it, nor did mother."

"When it all finally ended, we were both sent out to survey the damage," Tsume added. "We never once imagined that _this _would be what we found." He then turned to San and Smiled wolfishly, "Nor did we expect to find you here at the very heart of it all."

Kiba nuzzled her shoulder with his large snout, "We've been worried about you. San."

San smiled even more, "I know, Kiba. Sorry if I made you all wait like that," she before stepping away from him, "How is Mother?"

The giant wolf frowned, his feral eyes glinting. "I am afraid that our mother is not happy with you at the moment, San," he said. "Though her anger with you has lessened, she is going to have much to say to you when we return to the cave." He eyed his human sister carefully, "Why did you not return to the cave, San? What have you been doing all this time?"

San looked away from Kiba. "I…" she bit her lip. "When I left the human's Iron-Town, I sort of ran into some trouble on the way back to the cave." She couldn't help but laugh quietly at the way she was bending the truth, "… and I had him tagging along."

"Him?" Kiba asked, twitching his ears. "Who is this 'him'?"

"Alex," San answered quickly, the young human we encountered yesterday along the river. We've been traveling together since…" It was then that the young wolf girl remembered the critical condition that her fallen companion was in. "Alex!" she ran to the young outlander, once again falling to his side.

Alex was now more pale and sickly than before, his face nearly as white as salt. His breathing had become weak and fatigued and the ugly marks were perhaps his only prominent feature. His head swooned in the dirt, twisting and turning while his fingers twitched weakly. When he felt San's hand come rest on his sweating face, he sighed painfully, trying to open his heavy eyelids. 

"San…" he whispered, every single letter feeling like a burning ember as it passed through his throat. After much struggle, his eyes slowly began to open.

San cursed at herself silently and shook her head, wishing that this had never happened. She looked down at the Alex, feeling him getting colder by the minute. "It's alright, Alex," she said as tenderly as she could. "You're safe now. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"So cold," was all the youth could say. "Crap. I think that shot must've punctured through my left lung… and the slash and stab that crazy samurai didn't help matters either." He then coughed a little, tiny blood drops spewing with every cough, "I think my… lung's filling up with… blood." tears were now starting to flow from his eyes, "Pretty soon… I'll be choking to death… God, my chest still hurts," He coughed, causing a few drops of blood to fly out of his mouth. "Please San...... make it stop."

San shook her head. "Okay, tell me what to do," she asked, trying to hold back her own tears. She knew that the youth had no chance of living, not with a wound such as his. But she knew him to be some sort of healer, seeing as he had helped with her wounds, "I'm not to good with something like this, but I might try if you tell me what to do…"

"That's not what I meant," Alex corrected, reaching his hand for hers and grasping it as tightly as his fingers would allow him. "You know… what I mean…" Another spasm of pain shot through his body, causing him to cry out.

San's eyes went wide with horror into what he was asking her. He was asking her to kill him to end his pain once and for all. "No," she pleaded, her voice quivering to such a thing as she shook her head and placed her hand over his mouth to quiet him. "You're not going to die, Alex. She tried to smile, but all came out was a sad smile, "I won't let you."

"Why's that?" was all Alex could say in response.

"Because…" San started, but stopped for a moment before she said too much. San took a deep breath. "Because you didn't let me die. And because..... because you told me that life is too precious to just throw away." She clutched his head and looked deep into his eyes, no longer caring about them being the eyes of a human. "Don't throw yours away, Alex! Not after all you've done to get this…" she stopped when she felt Alex's hand touch her cheek and caress it softly.

Alex looked at the girl crouched over him and smiled. Not the same empty smile he had given her before, but a true smile, a smile that held heart and soul. "Isaac was right about you when he told me about you" he whispered slowly. "He said you were so frightening... and yet... so incredibly beautiful." He laughed quietly causing his whole body to shake, "It... it makes me wonder... if I had stayed in one place for long, and there had been someone like you back home... do you think I would've fallen in love with her too?"

San felt her cheeks redden, as Alex's words hammered through her head. 'Why?' she asked herself, watching the young outlander slowly start to drift out of conciseness. 'What have I done to deserve your love? How could you honestly love an ugly and vile creature like me?' It was then that she felt the first tear flow from her eye. The tiny drop of water rolled down her tattooed cheek and fell onto Alex's face, landing on his tear duct as it rolled down his cheek, acting as _his _tear. 'I don't deserve such things, I never have.'

Kiba and Tsume shared a confused look as they watched their younger sister tending to the dying human on the ground. Though Kiba had always been considered the wiser of the two, it was Tsume that spoke up first. "San," he said stepping behind the young wolfgirl. "Just leave him."

"No," San answered, not taking her eyes of Nathan for a second. She then unhooked the cloak of white fur that was draped over her shoulders and wrapped it around Nathan's shivering form.

"There's nothing you can do for him, San. This human is beyond all help," Tsume continued, looking down at the disgustingly placid young human that seemed to hold dominance over San's attention, "If anything you should kill him now and spare him the agony."

San whipped around and glared at her brother. "NO!" she screamed, causing the wolf to step back, "If it weren't for this human, I would be dead now! I owe him more than just a quick death!" She raised Alex carefully from off the ground and held him tightly, taking in the strange smell of his matted hair as she rested his head against her chest, "I won't abandon him now, Tsume, I won't!"

"Let him die," a familiar voice crossed over the other voices. The wolves turned, as did San as they saw Rukia standing on the edge of the crater, almost near the two wolves. With her, the Kodama hid behind her, frightened at the half-demon that the Wolf Princess defended, "Free him from the sorrow of being hated and feared by everyone. Death is his only way of finding peace."

"How can you say that?" San shouted at Rukia, both angered at hurt at such an idea. "What do you know he's going through?"

"Half-demons like him are both hated and feared by both Spirits and humans alike," Rukia replied, unfazed by San's outburst. "For him, it will be an endless road of loneliness as sorrow will grip him."

San looked to Rukia, less angered than she was before. "Is that true?" she looked at Alex's still form; he was still breathing, but it was only a guess on when he would stop. Imagining the pain he would go through if he did lived… it would be lonely for him, now that she realized it. It was then, she turned to look at her brothers and Rukia as she answered, "But I… I want him to live!" she once again rested her head against his bleeding chest, "Then I'll stay with him. Until he's no longer hated or alone. I will stay by his side."

Rukia was surprised by this, shwoing the first emotion on her face as she looked at the Wolf Princess. Whatever the boy had said to her, it had awakened something in San that was thought lost a long time ago. 'Maybe…' Rukia dared to hope as she looked to Alex, '… maybe he is the one…'

"He's a human, San," Kiba joined in, snapping Rukia out of her thoughts, "Why should you care what fate befalls him? I'm surprised you haven't already slain him yourself."

"Why?' San asked, feeling more tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know why, Kiba. All I know is that if he dies......I'll never be able to forgive myself, nor him." She reached her arms under Alex's body and gently picked him up. She then looked to her wolven brothers. "Please," she said, "Help me carry him. We need to take him to Shisha Gami before…"

"Take him to Shishi Gami?" Kiba asked horrified, "You're asking us to take this....this _human _to the dwelling of the Forest Spirit? Have you gone mad, San?"

"The Dwelling of Shishi Gami is forbidden to all who are not Gods, Spirits, or Guardians! You know that San!"

Tsume agreed with his elder brother, "How can you ask us to break the most sacred law of this forest?"

"Because it's the only way to help him!" San shot back, the fire of her anger rising in her veins.

"Mother would never allow it, San!" Kiba added.

"I don't care, Kiba!"

Tsume snorted indifferently, "I won't carry that loathsome creature!" he growled.

"Nor shall I!" Kiba agreed.

San looked to her brothers, hurt at their refusal to help her at this. At that moment, a new voice joined in the argument. "Yes you shall, sons of Moro!" it said.

San and the others turned towards the spot where the voice had originated. Her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the monstrous form of Isaac slowly making his towards them. The now monstrous fox-squirrel stopped and gave the two white wolves a stern look. "The power of Shisha Gami may be the only thing that can save this young human's life. Who are you to deny him that second chance?"

"And who are you to criticize us, Isaaku?" Kiba snarled at the newcomer.

"As long as this human is under my care, I shall criticize you all I want!" Isaac retorted, not letting the wolf's exceedingly larger temper intimidate him.

"How dare you!" Tsume growled, exposing his dagger-like fangs, "How dare you show such disrespect to the Wolf-Clan!" He took a step towards the transformed fox-squirrel, "I should kill you where you stand!"

"Are you wolves so easily consumed by your rage that you would forget who you are talking to?" Isaac shot back exposing his own dagger-like fangs, his hair sticking up with anger and his voice deepening with a frightening resonance. "I may not be as powerful, or as high in status as your mother, but I am still a Spirit Servant to the Spirit Queen of Fire, the great Otohime!" To this San looked at the fox-squirrel, her eyes full of bewilderment. "And as a Spirit Servant to Otohime, you will show me the respect that I and Rukia are entitled to!"

Tsume had heard all he could tolerate, "Enough!" he thundered, arching his back and preparing to pounce on the monstrous Fox-Squirrel Spirit. "One more slandering word out of you, you traitorous fox-squirrel, and I'll bite your chattering head off!"

"Oh will you, now?" Isaac replied, his look of anger slowly shifting to a clever smile, "I thought that humans were the only creatures on this planet that killed their own kind." His greenish eyes narrowed. "Are you going to prove here and now that you are no better than humans?"

Upon hearing this Tsume snarled, "If it'll get you to shut up…!"

"ENOUGH!" Rukia shouted, as she flew down in her Spirit form. As she landed, she returned to her human form and looked to both Tsume and Isaac, "You both are acting like puppies! Calm down and knock it off, or I'll singe your fur off!" after the two had calmed down, Rukia calmed down as well, "That's better."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Isaac added. He then walked over to where San was standing and looked up at the dying Alex being cradled securely in her arms. "We don't have much time," he said calmly before turning back to Kiba and Tsume. "If this boy dies, all hope for our future, human and beast alike, will be lost. I didn't befriend or follow him this for long only to see him die at the hands of his own kind."

"I believe he might be our only hope as well, Isaaku," Rukia answered, surprising Isaac as she looked to Alex's still form. "Besides… I'm curious as to what kind of human he is." she looked at Alex and then at San, 'A human like him being able to open and soften the heart of the Princess Mononoke… it's unheard of…'

"I don't want him to die either." San interjected. "What the humans have done to this forest isn't his fault. I couldn't see it before, but now I do!" She stepped closer to Kiba and Tsume. "Please, brothers," she pleaded once more, "Help him."

Kiba frowned, then looked to his brother, then to the Fox-Squirrel Messenger, the Fire Spirit Servant… and then finally to his human sister. "Alright," he finally said, moving over to where San was standing. "Place the human on my back, San."

San smiled and carefully laid Alex's body along her Woven brother's furry back. When she was certain that he was not going to fall off she moved around to Kiba's head and wrapped her arms around his large neck, hugging him lovingly. "Thank you," she said before joining Alex atop her bother's back.

Rukia hopped on top of Isaac's back as the two strode over to Kiba. She then bowed her head respectfully to the Wolf God Guardian, "You have our thanks, God Guardian, Kiba."

Kiba just growled under his breath and quickly made his way up the crater's slope, with Tsume and Isaac following not too far behind.

"AND STOP CALLING ME ISAAKU!" Isaac shouted comically in the deep forest.

* * *

**Pool of the Forest Spirit King**

* * *

By the time they reached the pond of the Forest Spirit, Shisha Gami, nightfall and already blanketed the skies, covering the forest in a vale of darkness. As Kiba and Isaac approached the sacred waters that surrounded the small island that served as a dwelling the Forest Spirit, San kept a watchful eye on Alex's motionless form.

Many hours had passed since he had been shot, and the wound reopened and made worse by the edge of a samurai's blade. And with every passing moment, the young outlander grew weaker and weaker. Every breath that passed through his lungs, however painful it might be, every beat of his heart, all of it seemed to drain away his life a little bit at a time. Now it seemed as though mere minutes would determine whether he lived or died.

When they reached the edge of the pool, San slid off her brother's back, taking Alex with her. Rukia slid off Isaac's back to accompany San as Isaac returned to his form in a blast of harmless flame. San then laid the youth's still form on the moss-covered ground and looked to Isaac for his next instructions.

"How is he?" Rukia asked, as she and Isaac stepped closer to San.

The young wolf girl placed her ear against Alex's chest and listened for a heartbeat. "His heart's just barely beating," she answered, "But he's still alive."

"Then we still have time," Isaac replied and scurried over to where a tiny tree-sapling was poking from out of the ground. He eyed it carefully before nodding with approval, "I think this one will do."

San raised an eyebrow, "Will do for what?" she asked.

"In order to make sure this works, we need to offer Shisha Gami another life in exchange for him to save Alex's." Isaac pointed to the sapling as San's attention was to him and the plant. "The life that flows through this sapling just might be enough to do this."

"So what you're saying," San began, peering at the tiny plant, "… is that in order to save his life, another must be sacrificed?"

"Precisely," Isaac answered, "Now let's move quickly while there's still some life in our fallen companion."

Not needing to be told twice, San quickly rummaged through Alex's supply sack until she found his machete. She then ran over to where the sapling stood and sliced it from its roots. As she held it tightly in her grasp she looked down at Isaac, "Alright, what do I do now?"

"Take Alex to the Forest Spirit's island and lay him against the shore," Isaac answered. "Once you've done that, place the sapling in the ground just above his head."

"And then?" San asked.

"And then we wait," Rukia answered.

San frowned and glanced at the sapling in her hand. 'Is the life of this tiny sapling really worth as much as a human's?'

"I know what you're thinking," Rukia spoke out, catching San's attention as she knelt over to the Wolf Girl. "A sapling's life force is as equal as to one of the elder trees," she smiled to assure San's worries were for not, "You shouldn't worry, Princess. He'll be fine."

San nodded to that and carefully picked Alex up from off the ground. Still clutching the sapling in her hand, the young wolf girl carefully carried her unconscious companion into the lukewarm water that lay between them and the Forest Spirit's island. She stopped for a moment as she looked over to her spirit companions as she asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"This is a Spirit King's dwelling, San." Isaac answered as he shook his head, "Shisha Gami doesn't know of our presence here. We must be welcomed by the King or Queen Spirit to step onto his land."

"And besides…" Rukia replied, looking uncomfortably at the water, "Even though I'm in the guise of a human… I'm still a Fire Spirit. Water doesn't agree with my element."

San let a small smile of understanding to her friends as she made her way to the island. Alex's body seemed to float like a piece of driftwood as San pulled him through the water, his arms and legs dangling lifelessly behind him. As they made their way to the island, they past what seemed to be the remains of former beasts, lay strewn on the water's ground. When they finally reach the island, San gently laid him on the soft grass that covered the island's surface. She quickly checked the youth's heartbeat again before placing the sapling she had cut above Alex's head, just as Isaac had instructed. As the wolf girl was about to make her way back to opposite shore, she stopped and looked back at Alex; a faint smile on her lips. "May Shisha Gami smile upon you, my friend_," _she said as she leaned forward and brushed a few strands of dark hair out of the youth's expressionless face.

She then slid down into the water and swam back to where Isaac, Rukia, and her two brothers were waiting for her. As she slowly stepped onto the shore she instantly noticed the hundreds, upon hundreds of tiny kodama that had gathered around the pond to watch the curious scene.

"And now we should leave," Isaac stated bluntly, glancing quickly at the wolf girl, Rukia, and her two brothers.

San gave the Fox-Squirrel a questioning look, "But what about Alex?"

"The boy's fate is now in the hands of the Forest Spirit King," Isaac replied. His sharp eyes then focused on Alex's still form as the tiny waves of Shisha Gami's pond splashed against him. "What happens now shall be between them, and them alone." He then looked at San and smiled. "Have confidence, Princess Mononoke."

"I… I do," she lied. The worried expression on her face betrayed her words.

Sensing her lie, Rukia walked over to the princess, and placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. San looked to her as Rukia replied, "He'll be alright, Princess. If he is the human that Isaac and I were sent to protect, he'll live. Please don't worry so."

San looked to Rukia for a moment, and then back to Alex's form back at the island. She looked saddened just by leaving him there. She placed a hand over her heart, clutching her shirt and breast, almost as if she wanted to tear the heavy burden inside her, as she whispered, "It doesn't mean I shouldn't worry."

"We're wasting time, here," Kiba grunted before starting for the forest. "Need I remind you, San, that Mother still wishes to speak with you?"

"No, Kiba, you don't have to remind me." She quickly glanced at Isaac and Rukia, then returned her attention to her brother, "But they're some things I wish to do before I return to the cave."

"Very well, San," the elder wolf retorted bitterly. "Just don't be too long. Mother is already furious with you as it is."

"I know."

After a quick exchange with Isaac and Rukia, the two wolves darted into the shadows of the forest neither one making a single sound as they departed.

When they were finally alone San looked down at Isaac who in turn looked back up at her and smiled, "I guess me and my associate have a lot of explaining to do, don't we?" he asked innocently.

"Yes you do," San smiled back.

Rukia looked to Isaac as she asked in concern, "Are you sure she should know about this?"

"Eh, she's already hip deep in this little fiasco." The Fox-Squirrel snickered. "Very well, Princess Mononoke." he said. "But I think for the present, we should take our leave of this place."

"I'll stay here, and keep an eye on the boy," Rukia suggested, not even getting an argument from the two as she kneeled down and stood her watch of the boy, "When Shisha Gami has healed him, I will make sure the other Tribes don't take advantage of his vulnerable state."

With that said and not being able to win this fight, the fox-squirrel and the wolf girl quickly made haste, leaving the pond, the guarding Rukia, and the dying Alex behind. Neither seemed to notice the gradually increasing winds as they withdrew deeper into the forest.

"Now that everything is in order, where shall I begin?" Isaac asked as he sat perched on a rock.

"You can start by telling me what your connection with Alex is?"

The fox-squirrel grinned. "What makes you think there is even a connection to begin with?"

"Only the fact that up until recently, you've been sticking so close to him that one would think that you two were actually one." She crossed her arms, "And need I mention that show of unnaturally aggressive concern for Alex's well-being when my brothers refused to help him?"

Isaac chuckled. "I suppose I did give myself away there," He continued to laugh.

"Well?" San said impatiently. Are you going to tell me or not?

"I was entrusted by both Somiesa and Oto-Hime with the task of guiding Alex to this place, as well as the rest of this ancient world. And Rukia, apparently without my knowledge of this, has been charged as a bodyguard of sorts," Isaac finally answered, "That's all I can say for the moment. Until I'm ready to task with Alex's mission and destiny in this time, you'll just have to be patient." He hopped off the rock and gestured towards the mountains that stood high above the forest. "For now, let's get some rest. I am sure that these past few ordeals you've experience have taken their toll on your strength."

"And I'm sure my Mother will only become more angry with me if I keep her waiting any longer," San replied, silently dreading the horrendous headache she was bound to have once the Wolf-God finished scolding her for her disobedience.

But the little fox-squirrel could easily see her stress. "Don't worry, Princess Mononoke," he said cheerfully, "For I'm fairly certain that your mother will be too busy arguing with me to even notice your return."

To this San smiled as well, "I hope you're right, Isaac." She shot the small Spirit a slight smirk as she teased, "Or should I start calling you Isaaku from now on?"

Isaac frowned as his little eyebrow twitched, "Why does everyone have to keep calling me that? I hate it when people call me by my old name," he asked himself, before they both began to slowly make their way towards Moro's cave.

* * *

**That Night**

**Back at the Pool**

* * *

Alex's body still remained motionless, as his breathing was becoming more shallow by the second. Rukia continued to look at Alex's form, not even moving from the spot. Elsewhere, on top of the trees, the kodama, millions of them, overlooked the clear and starry night sky. They looked over at the distance, the winds blowing slowly and calmly. Then suddenly, across the distance, a giant creature began to move through the forest, without even harming the trees.

The beast was massive, almost Godzilla big, as it overlooked the forest it was walking through. Its arms were almost longer than its body, its neck stretched halfway as a giraffe's, and going from its head down its back, strange branch-like horns shot out from its body. And its whole body was translucent with strange glyph marks; almost as if it was merely a giant blob of the night sky that had come to life.

As the creature made its way to the center of the forest, to where the pool was, the silence was broken. As the beast made his approach to the center, a single kodama rattled his head. And another followed, and another, and another, until all the forest seemed to rattle with the melody the Kodamas were all making.

Nearby, hidden in the trees, a very familiar monk dressed in bear skin was sleeping. That is until the rattling woke him up, and he caught sight of the giant that walked. Jigo smirked at this, "Finally," and he looked to his other companions. They were hunters, and they too were dressed in animal skins to hide their human scents. "He's here. Come and see, hurry." but then he caught the men, shaking in their boots with fright. Jigo sighed at this sight, as he reminded them, "You idiots, it's the Nightwalker. He's the reason we've been hiding in this forest and up these trees wearing these stinking animal skins."

"But, Master Jigo," the first hunter begged, "We can't. it's a sin to look at it."

Jigo looked at the hunter with disgust and discontent of the hunter's fear. "And you call yourself the greatest hunter in the West," Jigo sighed with exhaustion. He then whipped out a parchment, stamped by a royal seal as he reminded the men, "Look. We've got a letter of pardon from the Emperor himself. It's stated it forgives us from cutting off the head of the Spirit King, Shisha-Gami." Jigo looked back, and smirked, "Hey, come on! You're gonna miss it."

The Nightwalker had finally made its way to the center of the Pool as the Kodama continued to rattle. Jigo, and a brave hunter, looked out as Jigo explained the mysterious Spirit King, "Legend says that Shisha-Gami is the Spirit King of Life and Death itself. Because of that, he has two forms; when day becomes night, Shisha-Gami becomes the Nightwalker. And when Night becomes Day, he returns to his original form."

And Jigo was right, for at that moment, the Nightwalker slowly dived to the center of the forest. As it did this, a huge gust of wind swept over the trees. The kodama sat down and hung on tight, waving their arms in the air at being nearly blown off. To them, it was like a roller coaster ride for the little beings.

Back down near the pool, Rukia had taken notice of the winds, and saw movement on the massive tree on Shisha-Gami's island. The leaves bristled as something came down to the ground, where Alex's body lay. As the winds died down, Rukia was able to see again as she looked at the island.

Then… something began to move.

Footsteps were made by what appeared to be four legged three-toed green furred and yellow scaled feet of some kind. And as the feet of whatever this creature was touched the ground, exotic plant life grew on every step it made. And as it grew so suddenly, it died so suddenly with every step. Finally, into the light, the creature appeared to be a moose-sized deer with baggy orange fur, a white patch of fur resembling a big beard in the front, and on its head was a row of antlers that looked more like tree branches. And as it stopped at the sapling that San had placed at Alex's head, the creature's face was now shown. It was red with four white bristles as its eyebrows, a small mouth and the nose just above it and below the eyes, with two red marks under each eye. The face clearly resembled a human's face of sorts. This was the Great Forest Spirit King, Shisha-Gami, the Spirit King of Life and Death.

It looked at the human, and then looked at the sapling. Until finally, with a small breath of wind, it blew at the sapling. The sapling withered and died, as its leaves fell off and one leaf touched Alex's cheek.

Rukia looked at Shisha-Gami, being completely unnoticed at this time. She clasped her hands together, and bowed her head, praying, 'Oh mighty Shisha-Gami… please spare this boy's life. Give him the gift of returning to this life… for he is the one… he is the one that will return life to you and the other Kings… and save not only us, but the beasts, the humans, and this world… from the Fallen Spirit King that is Hexxus…'

* * *

**Next Chapter: Mercy of Shisha-Gami; the Armies are Rising pt.2**


	18. The Armies of Man and Beasts are Rising

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Mercy of Shisha-Gami; the Armies are Rising pt.2**

* * *

**That Night**

**Moro's Cave**

* * *

Never before had San seen such anger in her mother's wolven eyes. Anger directed at her and her alone. For what seemed like hours, the giant Wolf-God sat motionlessly atop the protruding formation of rock that jutted out over the forests far below, staring at her adopted daughter with a look of harsh disappointment and outrage. What were you thinking, San?" Moro said quietly.

"Mother, I'm sorry. I was only trying to…"

"Silence, child!" the giant forest deity snapped, causing the small wolf-girl to flinch. "You deliberately defied me by going to the human's Iron town. That in itself is inexcusable!" Her glowing eyes narrowed, "But to think that you could possibly take on everyone of them by yourself and live… that was sheer stupidity!" San was about to say something in her defense, but just as quickly decided it best to keep silent. "I thought that I had taught you better than that, San," Moro continued. "But it seems that I was wrong."

"Mother," San began quietly, "I know that I have disappointed… and… perhaps even shamed you." She lowered her head, hiding her face. "But I hold no regrets for my actions," she balled her firsts and clenched her jaw tightly, "I went to the human's Iron-Town so that I could make that damned gun-woman and that god-forsaken ghost princess pay for what the two of them have done to you."

"The fact that you sought to avenge me is irrelevant," Moro retorted coldly, "You let your anger cloud your judgment, a fatal mistake that should never be made, especially by a wolf."

"Mother…"

"And then there is that _human_," The Wolf-God's voice became acidic as the last word passed through her teeth, "Your brothers claim that you were very protective of him when they told you to leave him to die." She bent forward bringing her face closer to San's; her muzzle blowing air at San's neck as she growled, "They also say that you even brought him to the sacred pond of the Forest-Spirit King, Shisha-Gami."

"The humans of the Iron-Town had shot him!" San shouted, barely able to withstand her mother's scrutinizing glare. "And he would have died had I not helped him." She shook her head, "I.......just couldn't let him die, mother.......I just couldn't…"

The silvery fur along Moro's back began to twitch as a low-pitched growl resonated from within her chest. San...... she hissed. "Do you have any idea as to what you've done?" the Wolf-God's long maw twisted into an angry scowl, exposing her enormous fangs. "The simple fact that you allowed that human to enter this forest and live is questionable alone. But you went beyond that, San! You not only gave this human aid when he was dying, you brought him to the very dwelling of the Forest Spirit King! You brought him to the dwelling of Shisha Gami! Mere words cannot begin to describe my disgust with your foolishness!"

"I had no other choice!"

"Oh, but you did, San," Moro growled, "You could have left him do die." a patronizing smile crossed the enormous creature's face. "Instead however, you chose to help him, which soon led to you defying one of the most sacred laws of this forest. I'm beginning to wonder if your feelings towards the humans are as clear as they used to be, San. Or has this human somehow altered your duty as a member of the Wolf Tribe?"

"They _are_ clear, Mother!" San pleaded, moving closer to the Wolf-God who was her mother, "They're as clear as they've always been!"

"Then why did you spare that young human's life?

The young wolf girl bit her lip and frowned. "I… I don't know, Mother." she answered, lowering her gaze to the ground once again.

"You don't know?" Moro asked flatly. "If that is the only answer which you can give me, I truly pity you. You've brought much shame upon yourself, San. Both as a member this clan and as my daughter." She sniffed at the Wolf girl with contempt. "Now hurry up and get into the cave and get some rest. When morning comes, you will return to Shisha-Gami's pond to see whether or not your ill-fated human is still alive."

"And if he is?" San asked.

Moro growled with irritation, "Then we will find a proper way in which to........ in which to _deal_ with him." She turned away from the wolf girl. "Now leave me… before I say something unkind."

San sighed. "Yes mother," she whispered before turning around and disappearing into the darkness of her clan's cave.

For a long time, Moro sat silently, glaring at the forest that stretched out for miles into the distance. The evening wind blew past her, causing her silvery coat to whip like long blades of grass on an open field. She took a deep breath, taking in every rich smell that permeated the forest. She groaned a little, still feeling the beating that the Ghost Princess had given her. But that wasn't the worst for her. A violent burning pounded in her chest as the ball of iron that the gun-woman had shot her with, continued to fester deep within her flesh. The Wolf-God let out a deep growl of pain upon feeling the burning.

"A bit harsh on the child, weren't you, Moro?" Isaac said leaping down from his hiding place among the rocks. "But then again, you always were one for laying down discipline on those serving under your watchful eye."

Moro allowed a dark grin to spread across her elongated maw. "Isaaku," she mused. "I always wondered when you would do me the dishonor of gracing my dwelling with your presence again."

"Well, my dear friend," Isaac replied moving closer to the larger god guardian, "You should know by now that I've never been one to disappoint."

The Wolf-God sniffed, "That, you have not, Isaaku," she said glacially. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, would you be kind enough to tell me why you brought that disgusting abomination of human into these forests?"

"I'm hurt, Moro," the small Fox-Squirrel Spirit replied, grinning, "You have not even the heart to ask me how I have been? Nor did you ask on how milady Oto-Hime has been lately. I mean, really, nearly two-hundred years have passed since our last meeting, you know." When he saw the anger seething in his larger companion's features, Isaac continued. "But if it's the time traveler that you're truly interested in, then Alexander Killian's presence here we shall discuss."

Moro's ears twitched, "So that's how it is," she said calmly. "Even after hearing the many warnings of the other Spirit Kings, as well as Shisha-Gami, the Guardians, and myself, that fool of a King Spirit, Somiesa, as well as that optimistic bird Fire Spirit, Oto-Hime, proceeded with their idiotic plans, in order to foil the plans of the exiled Spirit King of Destruction of destroying the very life of this world. Not only that, they convinced the other Spirit Kings in this foolish ploy, without letting Shisha-Gami being to decide this action was necessary." she looked to the little fox-squirrel and demandingly asked, "Did they even once consider the consequences of their actions, Isaaku?"

"Both of them… no. All of them did, Moro," Isaac answered, "But after seeing for myself what sort of a future, fate holds for this world, I felt that any risk, no matter the dangers or consequences, had to be taken."

"Even though there is very little chance that you will actually succeed?"

"It's best to take chances instead of sitting idly by and watching your world die around you. To allow the plans of a power-hungry former master slowly choke this world's life as well as those who dwell on it, just for his amusement. To prevent that and change the future to make the harmony once more… I think it's worth every chance we've got in this."

To this, Moro laughed, "And you honestly believe that this human may be the key to preserving the life of this world?"

The Fox-Squirrel remained silent before answer, "I don't base my judgments on belief, Moro," he said, narrowing his eyes. "I base them on what I observe. The boy has tremendous potential, for I have seen it with my own eyes. His heart's in the right direction; he doesn't wish the humans dead, nor does he want this forest destroyed. That and he had fought against the curse that grows within him. If he does have the strength and the reason to fight… then he'll make that curse into his power for sure. And with that, as well as a few companions to accompany on his journey… they might be able to do what the Spirit Kings couldn't have done back then when Hexxus brought destruction to our world."

"You and your masters are nothing but a bunch of fools, Isaaku," Moro sneered, "And I guarantee that when this mindless game of theirs fails miserably, I will be there to laugh at your disgrace."

"We shall see, Moro," Isaac answered contemptuously. "We'll see."

* * *

**That Night **

**Iron-Town**

* * *

After Gonza and his remaining rifleman had returned to Iron Town, they immediately took Takemaru to medical as fast as they could. After a while, the guard captain had reported to Lady Eboshi and Yashahime as fast as he could. As soon as they had seen him, and told them the news, they immediately demanded to see Takemaru's body. As soon as they arrived in the doctor's hut, they were taken to where the samurai was kept at. As soon as they arrived, they saw a figure bedridden, and bandaged head to toe. However, there were some areas to where the bandages didn't cover, and showed that the skin had swollen and blood red. Takemaru's right eye was closed, and his hand was in a splint at the moment.

"Most of his bones were completely shattered beyond healing. It felt like crushed gravel when we bandaged him up." The doctor explained, "But his heart is still pumping. The only thing that comes close to it is a horse. I've never seen anything like it."

Eboshi and Yashahime looked at the fallen samurai for a moment. "Make sure he's given the best care then," Eboshi ordered concerning, "All we can do is make him comfortable." and walked off, with Gonza always following behind her.

Yashahime took one look at him, and then left. She smirked as she left, 'Alex… you are becoming quite the demon if you could do that with one punch.'

As no one looked, Takemaru's right hand, despite the sickening sound of his bones crunching and grinding at each other, tightened up into a fist. And then, his right eye opened, with a look of pure rage and hatred.

* * *

**Morning**

**Back in the Forest**

* * *

"Well now," Jigo said to himself as he continued to survey the enormous crater that he was standing in. The hot sun shined brightly in the heavens high above, making his greasy flabs of skin sticky with sweat. "This is certainly an interesting sight." he ran his rough hand over his mustache and frowned, "Very, very interesting, indeed."

"What do you think caused such destruction, sir?" Asked one of Jigo's hired hunters. The man stood stiffly beside his stumpy master, staring wide-eyed at the scene surrounding them.

"Haven't the faintest idea," the priest replied sullenly, "But I think it's safe to assume that this crater was caused by a being of origins far superior to that of mortal humans. Probably a half-demon. I've heard they're pretty powerful, being a mixture of human and spiritual creature."

"Sir?" the hunter asked looking at Jigo curiously.

Jigo laughed, "An old temple habit, I'm afraid," he said, scratching the back of his cloth-covered head. "But what can I say? I am a humble monk after all." He laughed some more before returning his face to a small smile as he chuckled, "Well whatta ya know.' he thought to himself. 'I would have thought that he would be dead by now. Glad I was proven wrong; he's a lot tougher than he looks.' His thick eyebrows pinched tightly as his smile was a reassured one. 'That outlander, Alex, lasted this long if he got here. Wonder what else he's got up his sleeve?'. He was suddenly jerked from his thoughts by the sound of someone calling out to him. When the priest turned around he saw his other hunter standing along the lip of the crater.

"Master Jigo!" the man shouted, leaping from the ridge and sliding down towards his master. "Sir, there's something I think you should see right away!"Jigo raised an eyebrow, "What the hell's gotten you so worked up?" he asked, "Don't tell me you were spotted by one of the wolves."

"No sir, I wasn't spotted!" the second hunter replied quickly, sliding to a stop before the stumpy priest, "But I really do think you should see this."

"Something serious I assume?" Jigo asked incredulously.

"It's best that you just see for yourself, Sir."

After following the second hunter through the seemingly endless maze of the mountainous forest, Jigo and his other hunter soon found themselves crouching behind a thick patch of shrubs and bushes.

"Well?" Jigo asked impatiently, "Just what exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"

The second hunter lowered himself onto his stomach and motioned for his two companions to do the same. "Follow me," he whispered, and proceeded to crawl through underbrush.

Jigo shared an inquisitive glance with his first hunter before following the second. When he popped his round, ugly head through the mass of greenery, he found himself looking over the side of a rocky cliff.

"There, Sir," the second hunter whispered pointing to a spot several kilometers across from them.

Jigo's eyes nearly bulged when they came to rest on the sight which laid before him.

Lumbering slowly across the face of an adjacent mountain, were hundreds upon hundreds of enormous wild boars, each one nearly seven times the size of large man with ivory-white tusks that jutted from their mouths like swords. Their brown bristle-covered bodies rushed across the land, trampling everything in their path like a living avalanche. Their high pitched squeals and grunts echoed all through the valley.

"Incredible," Jigo whispered, "There must be nearly a thousand of them!"

"Have you ever beheld such a sight?" one of the hunters asked.

The other hunter frowned, "The way they're organized........ it would almost seem as though they were soldiers of some kind of beastly army."

Jigo snickered at this as he knew the obviousness of the truth. "That, my friends," he retorted, "… is exactly what they are."

At that moment, another enormous boar made its way onto the ledge of a cliff that overlooked the moving mass of the boars far below. The enormous beast stood stiffly, but prominently, like powerful monarch surveying his army. Its tiny ears twitching while the dull-silver of its bristles glinted in the sunlight. As it moved its elongated head slowly from side to side, its flat snout sniffed at the air.

"Okoto!" one of the hunters whispered. "Sir, that white one up on the cliff is Okoto! I'm sure of it."

"Are you kidding?" Jiko replied, his red lump of a nose crinkling with his scowl. "It can't be. They said that ancient God Guardian already died a hundred years ago!"

"It has to be him!" the hunter answered, "There's no mistaking it, Sir. If nothing else, I'd recognize those old tusks anywhere."

The Boar-God Guardian suddenly paused. He twitched his ears a few more times before twisting his ugly head in the three human's direction, his ancient eyes narrowing.

"He sees us!" Jigo shouted, jumping to his feet, "Let's run for it!"

With that, the three humans scurried off into the shadows of the forest as fast as their feet would carry them, neither of them even daring to look back. As they quickly made their way across the boulders and roots, they could hear the high-pitched squeals of rage ripping through the forest.

* * *

**Back at the Pool of Shisha-Gami**

* * *

_His form lay resting in the water, as Alex was still unconscious. His would was still opened, and in the water, blood was dripping out of his wound even faster than they did on land. But then suddenly, a golden creature leaned in, and kissed at the wound. When it happened… the bleeding had died down until blood stopped spilling out completely. And then, a voice called out of nowhere, beckoning to Alex…_

_Live, child…_

_You must live…_

* * *

A single drop of morning dew fell onto Alex's face, splashing against the soft skin of his cheek. The boy's closed eyelids twitched as he slowly began to awaken. When he was finally able to open them, he felt the gentle leaf-filtered light shined into his eyes.

Everything was blurry and distorted, and his entire body felt like an oversized piece of lead. He blinked a few times, forcing his tired eyes to focus. When he was finally able to see clearly, he found himself staring up at the leafy-green canopy of the forest. A few beams of sunlight pierced through the tiny gaps in the canopy, illuminating the moss-covered forest floor like shafts of celestial spears.

As Alex continued to gaze at his surroundings, a sudden realization surfaced in the back of his mind. He was alive. 'Alive. I'm… I'm still alive,' he thought to himself. 'Why am I still alive? Or how for that matter?' He lifted his heavy arm and brushed his hand along the front of his shirt, feeling for the bullet wound that should have taken his life. His naked fingers probed about his stomach, blindly seeking out the festering crater in his flesh. 'That shot should've killed me, and that stab wound should have made things worse........why am I still alive?' When he found the wound, a chill passed through his spine.

For when the young outlander felt about the hole and the tear that had been left in his shirt by the bullet and Takemaru's sword, his fingers found nothing but smooth, undamaged skin. There was no bullet wound, no slash scar, nor was there any traces of there ever having been any scarring at all. 'What the… ?' he felt about his chest again, still finding no trace of any injury, 'No wound! No scarring! Not even a scratch!'

"You keep looking at your chest, kid, and your neck's gonna get stuck like that."

The young outlander was suddenly torn from his thoughts by something nudging him gently in the shoulder. When he turned his head to face the visitor, he saw a very familiar face of a certain fox-squirrel looking back at him. A relieved smile suddenly spread across his face, Where have you been all this time?"

Isaac just stared into his human companion's eyes and grinned, "Ah, there were a few things I had to take care of before I could meet up with you guys," the Fox-Squirrel smirked, "Sorry to say, but I kinda got delayed." he pointed to Alex's right, "Seems we have a new friend to the bunch."

Alex looked to his right, and for a moment, thought it was San. Instead, it was a girl that he had never seen before. When she saw him, she bowed to him, "My name is Rukia, servant of the Spirit Queen, Oto-Hime." she then looked to Alex as serious as ever, "I was sent to make sure you stay alive… or kill you if the curse becomes too much."

Alex groaned at that last part. "That's just swell," he sarcastically remarked.

The tiny fox-squirrel smirked, "Don't let her emotionless expression fool ya. She's actually a pretty big softie once you rub off her." he leaned forward and rested his head on top of youth's stomach, a silent way of asking to have his ear scratched, "Incidentally, could you scratch my ears? When I asked Rukia, she wouldn't do it for me."

"You miserable little mooch," Alex chuckled, reaching a hand for the small animal's left ear, and gently scratching it. "I practically get my lung nearly blown out by some bearded dork-wad with a rifle and a crazy samurai with a serious bloodlust problem, and you want your ear scratched." He grazed his fingernails along Isaac's furry ear a few more times before lowering his hand to his stomach, "I don't think I can take this abuse much longer…"

"Ah, you can take it kiddo," Isaac answered as he rested on Alex's chest. "You still have that curse of yours."

"Yeah, I still…" suddenly, Alex's eyes went wide with sudden realization as asked, "What'd you say?"

Isaac gulped, now regretting what he had just said. "You really talk too much, Issaku," Rukia retorted.

"YOU SHADDUP!" Isaac fumed as he jumped off of Alex and glared at Rukia.

The boy suddenly became silent as his eyes came to rest on the gold band on his right wrist, still as prominent as ever as it glowed a little, but only for a moment. "Well," he whispered, "I see one thing hasn't changed." He let his hand fall back onto the soft moss and sighed dejectedly, "Crap… "

"That's a fine way to act after you're healed," A voice spoke up from behind him, as he turned and saw San walking up towards them, "You should show more appreciation for the gift that has been bestowed upon you, Alex." San could not help but smile as she slowly made her way towards Alex, "And you should be grateful that you are still among the living."

Alex turned his head slightly to one side and watched as the young wolf girl sat herself on the ground beside him. When their eyes met, he gave her a half smile. "Hey," he said weakly.

"Hey yourself," San replied, returning the smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything's kinda fuzzy," Alex answered, "Like I've just woken up from some crazy hypnotic trance," He looked back up at the forest canopy once again, "It feels like a liter of acid was poured into my brain… that and I'm hungry." he then tried to get up, but fell flat on his back, "Crap…"

"You lost a lot of blood," the wolf girl said gently. She brushed her fingers along the hole in Alex's shirt, peering at the patch of skin that had once been a gaping wound. "Shisha Gami restored your life, Alex. Do you have any idea what that means?"

"How many guesses do I get?" the young outlander replied sarcastically.

San exchanged a quick look with Isaac and Rukia, who by the look of it, had once again didn't bother to tell him the reasons for being as the boy's traveling companion. When the Fox-Squirrel returned her glance, San shook her head and leaned forward so she could meet Alex's gaze, "It means, that he wants you alive, Alex. The Forest Spirit King wants you to live."

"He's got one heck of a way of showing it," Alex replied bitterly, looking at the cursed band on his hand. "If Shisha Gami wanted me to live, aside from not sending me back to my own time, why didn't he get rid of this curse?"

"I... I wish I knew, Alex," said San, placing a hand on his shoulder, and looking at the pained expression on his face. Before she realized it, the wolf girl's were soon transfixed into his eyes, "All I know, is that the Forest Spirit always has a reason for doing things. Which means that he must have a reason for…"

"I don't want to hear it," Alex cut her off sharply, and suddenly sat up, getting into San's face. "Please don't throw some lame excuse as to why your Forest Spirit King brought me back to life. What? So that I could kill everyone in sight when I finally lose control?"

San felt taken back by her friend's sudden outburst. "It's not an excuse," she said quietly. "It's simply what I've been taught all my life." When she saw the youth remained unchanged, she sighed, "Let's not start arguing again, alright? I really don't think that either of us has the patience to deal with another round of endless bickering."

Alex shrunk back a little, after seeing what he had done. Alex sighed, slumped his shoulders and shook his head as he looked away, "Yeah, sorry about that," he agreed, "And I'm also sorry about biting your head off like that."

The wolf girl raised a thin eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You look like you can barely even move, let alone bite something's head off."

Alex rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just a figure of speech, San."

"It's not your fault," Isaac pointed out, "Don't forget… she _was_ raised by wolves."

A soft rumbling shook the walls of his empty stomach. "Man," he said, gently rubbing his belly, "I could really go for Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, right about now."

"Who's Wendy? What's a chicken sandwich?" San asked, after her failed attempt to mouth the foreign sounding words.

"Maybe she's a friend," Rukia asked.

"I don't know," Isaac smirked as he licked his lips, "But it sounds juicy if there's real chicken involved."

The young outlander licked his lips and smiled broadly. "A spicy chicken sandwich," he corrected his friend, "It's… well, you'd have to see it in order to know." he sighed as he remembered the situation, "Of course, it's gonna be another seven centuries until they build the Wendy's chain line."

San just shook her head, "I'm afraid that I don't have any 'chicken sandwiches' with me," she said, laughing quietly. She then reached into a small leather pouch hanging at her side and produced several dark-colored strips of smoked meat. "But I do have these." She held one of the strips in front of Alex's face.

The moment the thick, salty smell hit Alex's nostrils dead hard. He grimaced, and tried to put as much distance between himself and the strip as he could. "Sweet mother of Christmas!" he gasped. "What is that?"

"Dry-smoked meat," San retorted, indignantly.

"Stuff smells worse than the mystery meat they served at my last school's cafeteria," said Alex, his grimace unchanged. "Please tell me you don't honestly expect me to _eat _that, do you?"

"It's better than nothing," Isaac retorted.

"You said you were hungry, didn't you?" She bit down on one of the strips and tore off a small chunk. She then held it to Alex's mouth, "Here, you need to eat something."

Alex shook his head, "No way, San."

"Alex!" San growled, her patience with the stubborn boy wearing thin.

"Forget it!"

Before a fight could ensue, Isaac whispered to her about something. She leaned in and listened carefully, cocking an eyebrow as she asked, "Will that work?" Isaac nodded, and San sighed, not liking this, "Alright, but I won't like it." Instead of shouting back at him, the young wolf girl took a deep breath and exhaled quietly. She then looked down at Alex's face and gently smiled, "Please?"

Alex was a little surprised by that 'please' as well as the look that San gave him. He shared a quick glance with Isaac who was giving him another one of his looks'_. _The fox-squirrel 'yipped', "C'mon, Alex. How can you say no to a charming and lovely lady like that?" he looked to Rukia as he nudged his head in another direction, "We'll leave you two be for the moment when you're done eating." And once before, he scampered away, leaving the two humans to themselves.

Rukia looked to the two as she got up, "I'll be making sure he stays out of trouble," she then looked at them one last time as she advised, "Don't do anything foolish, alright?" and went after the fox-squirrel slowly.

Alex then looked up at the pleading expression on San's tattooed face. 'Oh Crap,' he thought to himself. 'Why does she have look so cute when she's not in battle mode?' Swallowing once, the youth frowned. "Alright," he said. "You win, San."

The wolf girl's face brightened triumphantly, "So you'll eat what I've brought you?"

The teenaged boy outlander shuddered before answering. "Yes, San," he said dejectedly. "I'll eat it. But so long as it's not bleeding or still moving…" Before he could say another word, the small piece of dried meat was shoved into his mouth, silencing him. His eyes began to water as the bitter flavor of the meat burned into his taste buds as he slowly reached for his mouth, trying not go gag or barf.

"Chew," San told him gently.

Alex muttered something through his teeth and began to chew. Unfortunately, like every other part of his body, the muscles in the youth's jaw had been left weak and nearly to the point of being useless. It was like trying to cut a chunk of steel with plastic scissors. With a pained groan, he let the piece of meat slip from his mouth and fall onto his chest.

"Crap," he whispered, a pained expression on his face, "All that crazy stuff I did back yesterday, and after all that, I cant even chew one piece of beef jerky." he then fell back to his back as he let out a sad smile, looking up at the sky, "I must look really pathetic right now, don't I?"

But San said nothing. Her face was filled compassion and pity for the boy she looked at. She then picked up the piece of meat, placed it in her own mouth and began to chew silently. With every movement of her jaw, the meat gradually became soft an pulpy. She glanced at Alex once more, meeting his questioning stare. Still saying absolutely nothing, the wolf girl leaned over him and drew her face closer to his.

"San?" Alex asked. "San, what're you doing…" he was suddenly silenced as the Princess Mononoke pressed her soft lips against his. Before he could even fully register what was happening, he felt the meat that San had chewed being forced passed his lips and into his own powerless mouth. To say the least, the wolf girl's actions shocked him beyond all logical thought.

With her mouth empty, San sat up and smiled tenderly at Alex. The youth's eyes had nearly doubled in size and his cheeks were puffed out like a that of a frog. "Okay, now swallow," she commanded him.

It took all of Alex's self control to keep himself from gagging as he obediently did as he was told. He grimace more as the chewed-up wad of meat passed down his throat and into his stomach. 'Holy crap! That was seriously disgusting!' he though to himself. To not be able to eat from lack of strength was bad enough, but to have someone else chew it for you and practically regurgitate it back into your mouth as though you were a baby bird... It wasn't that he wasn't ungrateful about it… it was just kind of disgusting for him.

However, before the first word could be spoken, San returned her lips to Alex's, forcing yet another chewed-up wad into his mouth. And strangely enough, despite how disgusted he had been the first time, Alex did nothing to resist it the second time around. He didn't even try to hold his mouth closed. Every nerve in his brain was on fire, screaming at him to push the girl away.

But the feeling of San's lips pressed against his...

The soft tickle of her warm breath brushing past his cheek...

The intoxicating smell of the forest that seamed to perfume every inch of her porcelain skin...

It was as though the girl had placed him under some kind of spell that left him completely at her mercy. And despite how bizarre the one thought that popped into his head may have seemed, a part of Alex's mind prayed that this moment would never end. 'Wow… I never thought of it before… but she's really beautiful,' he thought to himself as the wolf girl broke their contact and drew away from him.

Only a matter of seconds passed before San's face was pressed upon Alex's once again. As the meat slid down the teen boy's throat, the most unthinkable and unsuspected action happened. Slowly, and without even realizing what he was doing, Alex brought his right hand to the wolf-girls cheek...

...and he kissed her.

San's eyes widened, each one nearly bulging from their sockets. Every muscle in her body felt as though boiling water was flowing through her blood, and her heart began to pound like a war-drum. No more than a day ago when she had first met Alex, her first reaction would have been to pull away and lash at the his face with her nails, pulling his face off as he gurgled on his own blood. But as strange as it may have seemed, something in the depths of the wolf girl's soul begged her to react, to answer this unexpected advance, to throw aside all logic of her wolven heritage, and let her most primal instincts take control. It caused her emotions to explode in her head and her insides to twist over themselves.

It was only then that San realized that she returned Alex's kiss. All time seemed to slowly draw to a standstill, each second becoming an eternity. Closing her eyes, the young wolf girl pressed deeper into the kiss, caressing the teen boy's cheek with her nose, while her lips sought his own with a longing passion she had never once imagined could exist within her. Before long, Alex's left arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer to himself. As she felt the warmth of her human companion's body against her own, San only seemed to sink deeper and deeper out of reality.

Then all at once, like a bolt of lightning, the realization of what they were doing suddenly struck the two young humans as their eyes opened with surprise of one another's actions, and they quickly broke away from each other. As they both stared at one another, unable to speak or move, their chests heaved with their every impassioned breath and their hearts pounded in their chest. As the moments passed without a single word spoken, both the Princess Mononoke and the young outlander began to take notice of each other's slowly reddening face.

As he got back up in a sitting position and continued to stare at San, Alex felt something building up in his chest. With every passing second, he could feel it growing, expanding, filling his lungs like balloons. He soon found himself unable to contain it. He began to laugh.

San could only watch in utter shock as her companion proceeded to laugh like a madman. The fact that her emotions were still racing through her feverish body did not help her understand the youth's actions at all. "W-w-what s-so funny?" she asked quietly, after finally finding her voice. Seeing he was still laughing, she got annoyed as her voice rose up a bit as she scowled, "I demand to know what's so funny!"

By now Alex's eyes were wet with tears and his chest ached like nothing he had ever felt before. "I'm sorry about that, San!" Alex said between his outbursts of hysterical laughter. "It's just…" He continued to laugh, "It's just that…" the laugher continued.

"It's just what?"

Slowly and very painfully, Alex forced his laughter to subside. When he could speak normally once again, he tilted his face towards San and gave her a guilty smile; his cheeks still as red as ripe tomatoes from all his laughter, and the embarrassment of the kiss that the two shared together. "I'm really sorry, San," he repeated, "It's just that… well somehow, I always knew, even when I was just a kid, that there would be something strange about my first kiss." He did everything he could to keep himself from laughing like an idiot again. But I never once imagined that it would…" his blush seemed to grow brighter, "... taste like... beef jerky." He began to laugh again.

San was silent. All she could do was stare blankly at the teenaged human boy before her. Unable to fully grasp the strange, and almost terrifying realization of what had just happened between them. "Kiss?" she whispered, touching her fingers to her lips. "Is that…" she was almost too afraid to finish the question, "Is that what we just did?

Alex nodded, "Yeah," he murmured, already feeling the tendrils of regret twisting through his insides, "...we kissed."

San, ran her tongue across her lip, sampling the taste that had been left by the kiss. She then frowned at the young outlander, "Why did you..."

The youth shook his head, "Please don't ask," he said, "In all truth, I don't really know myself. Back in America, in my time, it's pretty common to do that sort of thing. Sort of a way of a… former greeting, I guess. And at times, it's a symbol of strong feelings between two people. Which reason as to why I kissed you… I'm a little uncertain at this point." He gave her the best innocent smile he could conjure up, "Ummmm..... you're not pissed at me are you?"

"If being 'pissed' as you say it, means being angry…" San sighed and smiled faintly, "No, I'm not… _pissed _at you."

"That's groovy," Alex replied, sighing inwardly.

"It's just that…" the wolf girl continued, still blushing, "I've never........kissed another human before." She looked away from him to hide the blush that still retained on her face, "I didn't even know that's how humans kissed. It's a little different than how a wolf kisses."

"So you're not pissed off at me, right?" Alex asked, to be certain.

"I already said I wasn't, didn't I?" San replied.

"Just making sure," the youth continued. He paused for a moment. "Ummmm…"

"Yes?" San asked, still a bit shaken up.

"Exactly how do wolves kiss?" Alex asked, "Just curious, that's all."

San smirked as she leaned in towards him. "Like this," she answered as she nuzzled her nose to his, and then her cheek to his cheek. Alex blushed uncontrollably at this as he felt her soft skin against his. The scent she was giving off was even more unbearable for the boy as he tried to control his blush. After she had pulled away, she smirked as she asked, "So… does that answer your question?"

"Uh… yeah pretty much…" Alex squeaked from the action. He cleared his throat, trying to return his voice back to normal. "You wouldn't happen to have any water, would you?" Alex gave her another one of his innocent smiled.

San smiled and nodded. "Sure," she said standing up. She then reached into her pouch once again and pulled out a small clay bowl, "Just wait here." She then made her way towards the edge of the nearby pond.

When San returned, with the water, she sat beside Alex. "Here," she said, helping him to hold the bowl up to his mouth and tilting it slightly.

Unable to control help his thirst, Alex quickly gulped down half the bowl's contents, spilling a good portion on his shirt. "Thanks," he said with a relived sigh, "I really needed that…" he suddenly became silent in a moment as he stared at the reflection of his face rippling in the bowl.

"Alex?" San asked, peering at him with concern, "What's wrong?"

"How bad was it?" Alex asked. San looked confused as to what he was talking about as he asked again, "When I transformed… how bad was the damage?"

San bit her lip, "It was too much, Alex," she answered, "When we left that crater…"

"What crater?" Alex asked, piercing San's eyes with his own, "What are you talking about?"

The young wolf girl frowned, "You mean you don't remember?"

"Not as much, just bits and pieces. The last thing I remember before I saw you and kicked that Takemaru, is getting shot in the stomach by that asshole, Gonza and…" A look of horror swept across his face, "Oh crap," he whispered, shaking his head. "It happened again didn't it?" He returned his gaze to San, "Did I kill anybody, San?"

"Alex… " the wolf girl whispered.

"How many?" Alex asked, "How many did I kill this time?"

"All except for the remaining rifleman, the samurai, and the one with the beard, whom you call 'Gonza'," San answered, "A small portion of forest was destroyed as well."

Alex felt weaker than ever and stared at his hand once more, cringing at the sight of the demonic wrist chain that cursed him to become the beast that he was becoming. "What am I becoming, San?" he asked. He closed his eyes, wishing that he could just fall asleep right there and never wake up. "San," he eventually said.

"Yeah?"

Tears were now forming in the boy's eyes as he drew his knees to him, and crouched down. "I wish this never happened. I just wish I could control this. But all I seem to do is end lives now instead of save them." When he realized that he was crying, he wiped the tears away and cursed under his breath. "Great, now I've got myself crying again."

"Don't worry," San whispered as she sadly smiled to him, "I won't tell anyone." As she continued to stare sadly at the defeated youth, the harsh words of her mother resurfaced in the back of her mind:

_Your brothers claim that you were very protective of him. _

_You could have left him do die. _

_Why did you spare that young human's life? _

_I'm beginning to wonder if your feelings towards the humans are as clear as they used to be. _

A sharp noise suddenly tore the wolf girl away from her thoughts. When she looked up she saw the silvery form of her Mother stepping out from the cover of the trees, along with Isaac in his large form and Rukia. There was a very serious look on the Wolf-Guardian's face as she looked towards the other side of the pond. She was soon joined by her two sons. As San was about to ask her mother as to why she was there, the sounds of grunting and squealing filled the air, growing louder by the second.

"San?" Alex asked, tugging at the wolf girl's dress, "What's going on?"

"I don't know."

Then, as if materializing from the forest, a large group of enormous wild boars stepped trough the gaps between the trees.

"Oh crap," Alex whispered, looking at the gigantic beasts drawing near, "More giant boars. wasn't Nago enough for me?"

When the group of hulking boars finally drew to a stop, the largest of the group trotted forward and addressed Moro. "We have come to kill the humans and save the forest!" It bellowed loudly.

Alex's eyes widened upon hearing the boars basso voice, "Great. They talk too."

The Boar-Guardian's attention was soon drawn to San, Rukia, and Alex, "Why are there humans here, Moro?" It's bristled face twisted with a look of disgust.

"Humans are everywhere these, days," Moro replied, sneering at the Boar-Guardian. "The girl is San, the human I adopted into my clan as an infant. And the other one is Rukia, Oto-hime's most loyal servant." Her eyes narrowed, "And this forest is under Somiesa's rule and my protection. I suggest that you return to your own forests and kill them there."

'Oh crap,' Alex thought as he watched argument between the two god guardians unfold. 'These things really are talking. I guess the apes and Nago weren't the only ones that could do that.'

"No, Moro," the enormous creature shot back, "We will kill the humans here and preserve the honor of our fallen brother, Nago! We will save this forest!" Its eyes soon came to rest on Alex's form, causing him to freeze up with fright. "What is this other human doing here? Are these sacred waters now accessible to every loathsome creature of this world?"

"Crap," Alex muttered, "Now I'm really in the soup."

"The boy is my responsibility!" Isaac shouted as he stepped over to Alex, and sat at his side, "I was instructed by Somiesa and Oto-hime to watch over him in these lands… as his familiar."

"Lies! Nothing but lies, Isaaku!" the Mighty Boar shouted, while his brethren squealed and roared at this. "What Spirit would dare associate with a filthy and loathsome human? Why is he really here?"

Seeing that the boars didn't believe in Isaac's truth, and the fear in her friend's expression, San stepped in front of Alex and faced the angry Guardian. "The human is mine!" she shouted, much to Alex's surprise, "He was shot by his own kind and left to die!" She chose her words carefully, bending the truth just enough to tip the situation in her companion's favor, "He holds no allegiance to the other humans! He is not our enemy." She looked back at Alex who just shook his head.

"If this human was shot, how is it that he is still alive?

"He was healed by the Forest-Spirit King, Shisha-Gami!" San answered quickly, before Nathan could stop her.

A horrified look crossed the face of every boar in the gathering. What? the leader bellowed angrily. Do you mean to tell us that the great Shisha Gami deemed this human worthy of his aid? This disgusting piece of filth!?



"I am so dead," Alex muttered as he paled at the boars' anger.

"I think you might be right," Isaac replied.

"Why, Moro? Why did Shisha Gami heal him, and not heal Nago? Why did the Forest Spirit King save the life of this _human _and not the life of his own guardian? Was Nago not the Guardian of this forest? WHYYYYYYYY?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The entire area began to tremble as the boars squealed and roared with rage.

Moro on the other hand, remained totally serene, "Shisha Gami has the power to give life and take life away. Like every Great Forest Spirit of this world, life and death are his to command...... and his to command alone. She scowled. Are you boars so blinded by you desire for revenge that you would forget even that?"

"YOU LIE!" The Boar-God Guardian shook his head. "There's more to it, isn't there. Moro?" he said, "A Forest Spirit King will only grant life when life is pleaded for." He glared at San. Which means that you must have pleaded Shisha Gami to grant life to that human!" He then jerked his head back to Moro, "Why did you not plead for Nago's life, Moro?"

"Leave the princess out of this," Rukia threatened as she stepped in front of Moro. She transformed as her flames roared in her four hands, and glared at the Boar, "Shisha-Gami didn't spare Nago because he fled as the cowardly pig he proved himself to be when the gunwoman had arrived."

"Calm your anger, Rukia. I will deal with this," Moro calmly replied, as Rukia acknowledged and stepped aside. "It was because Nago was afraid to die," the Wolf-God replied. "When the human bullet pierced his flesh, he fled into the night, the poisons of the iron drove him into madness. Now I too carry within my breast a poison human bullet. As the days pass, I feel it slowly eating away at my life. However, unlike Nago, who fled and allowed the darkness to take him, I do not fear death, and will accept it when it comes to claim me."

Upon hearing these words, San ran to her mother and pressed her face into her soft fur. "Mother please!" she begged. "Ask Shisha-Gami to heal you!"

"No San," Moro whispered, smiling gently at her human daughter, "I have lived for nearly a millennium, which is longer than most God Guardians live. My only wish now is to finally be able to rest and let my spirit pass into the afterlife as other have done so before me."

"But all these years, you protected him." San pleaded as she was now in tears. Alex saw this and deeply understood what San was going through now. The wolf God Guardian was indeed San's mother; she didn't want to lose her, not one bit. And secretly… he knew what that was like. San once again pleaded, the tears strolling down her cheeks, "Please, you…"\

"Enough of this!" the Boar-God bellowed, taking a step towards Moro, "You're not fooling us; Nago was beautiful and strong! You treacherous wolves were envious of Nago, weren't you? You let the humans kill him while you hid in your caves! After they were through, you ate his corpse to leave no evidence of his disappearance!" He snorted loudly. And when he was gone, you claimed his title and his land for yourselves! You and you're clan are nothing but a treacherous cowards, Moro!"

"Quiet! My mother has devoted her life to protecting this forest!" San shouted, her tears dried up and her blood boiling with pure anger. "Slander her again and I'll kill you myself, you filthy pig!"

"San, don't!" Alex shouted. This gained everyone's, spirits, human, and guardians alike as they all turned towards the human. He righted himself up, with the help of Isaac as he grabbed his fur to pull himself on to his feet. "Guardians of the Forest, hear me out." He raised his arm and began to show everyone the golden wrist chain, the gem glowing brightly as it was pointed at the boars. "Moro and her tribe had nothing to do with Nago's Death. He died far from the forest in lands to the east… and… I was the one who killed him. The bullet he had been shot with, had driven him completely nuts, turning him into a Demon-God. And as my punishment for getting in his way, he placed his curse upon me before he died." suddenly, his whole right arm was encased in the black ooze film once again, and the complete gold armor had encompassed his right arm and only his right arm, with the gem turned topaz and glowing brightly.

San looked to Alex, painfully as to the burden he was now shouldered with. Alex then went on as he gently clenched his fist and brought to his chest. "I came here to ask your Forest Spirit King, Shisha-Gami, to lift the curse… and perhaps even send me back home to my own century." He lowered his arm and looked on sullenly. "But it seems… that he's denied me both of these things. All I can do now is sit back and watch myself die… and leave the beast that'll be created when that happens."

Loud footsteps shook the ground as yet another large Boar-God Guardian made his way into the grove. This one towered over every other boar around him, and was covered in a coat of silvery bristles, faded from the hundreds of years age had left him with. With every step the enormous creature took, the smaller boars would move out of his way, clearing a path for him.

When Moro saw the approaching God Guardian, a look a relief swept across her face. "Okoto," she said calmly. "… at last, a God who will listen to reason."

But Okoto simply ignored the Wolf-God and made his way over to where Nathan was laying, his large snout sniffing the tiny human.

"Wait!" San shouted, rushing towards the towering deity as she stopped between him and Alex. "Please, Lord Okoto, you mustn't eat him.

Upon hearing this, Isaac groaned, "Bad idea, San."

Okoto tilted is head towards San and sniffed at her. "Ahhh," he said calmly. "So you are the human child of Moro. The Princess Mononoke; I've heard of you." He sniffed at her again.

"You're.......you're blind." San whispered, feeling the Boar-God Guardian's warm breath rushing passed her.

"Stand back, child," Okoto continued, lowering his snout to Alex once again, "I will not eat him."

When she looked at Alex, he gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright, San. I'm not too crazy about this, but… " he shifted his gaze to the giant creature standing over him. "If Okoto says he not gonna harm me, I think I can take his word for it."

"Hold out your arm, young one."

Alex did as he was told and held his armored arm up to the Boar God's snout. He could feel his arm being pulled towards the large nostrils as they sucked in the various smell that permeated his armor and flesh. For a long time, the shore of Shisha Gami's pond remained in a state of dead silence as Okoto studied the young outlander's scent. His four, time-worn tusks clattered as he quietly gnashed his elongated maw. Finally, after what seemed like an hour of silence had passed, the God spoke once again. "I believe you, young one, and I thank you for it, young one." he said softly. "I am only saddened...... and ashamed that one of my own flesh and blood could become such a demon." all the boards hung their head in silence and shame, knowing that their proudest champion had so easily allowed himself to fall in darkness.

"Lord Okoto," Alex replied. "Is there any way Nago's curse can be lifted?" His expression was filled with hope and desperation.

Okoto frowned. "Leave this forest, young one," he answered. "If the Forest Spirit King denied you a cure for your plight, then there is nothing more you can do. And should our paths ever cross again........ I am afraid that I will have no choice but to kill you."

Alex felt his heart sink deep into the pit of his stomach. "Why?" Isaac asked for the both of them. "Lord Okoto. This boy has nowhere else to go to. He was sent here by the Forest Spirit Kings to save this forest, as well as the very life force of this world. If we forsake him now… the sacrifices the Spirit Kings will have been in vain."

"Because war is coming, Isaaku," said Okoto, "And by this time tomorrow, that war will fall upon this forest, and our two races will battle to bitter end. If it is any consolation to the boy… he has my sympathies."

Moro scowled, "Do you not realize that you'll be fighting a loosing battle, Okoto?"

"That is irrelevant, Moro." Okoto retorted. "You knew just as well as I did that this war was coming. It was only a matter of time before the declaration was made. The death of my son was that declaration."

"The death of Nago was a tragedy which should never have happened," Rukia continued. But no matter how tragic it was, fighting the humans in direct warfare will only bring about greater tragedies. To fight the humans as they are now, would simply be suicide on your part. The power of their guns will slaughter your armies in minutes."

"Look upon my tribe," Okoto snorted angrily, "With every generation we grow small... and we grow stupid. It will only be a matter of time before we are nothing more then squealing game that the humans hunt for their meat and sport. I would rather die in battle as a warrior than live to see such a fate befall my kind."

"You would risk everything on just one battle Okoto? said Moro, Do you not realize that by doing so, you would be playing right into the human's hands? She smiled bitterly. You can not win against the humans, Okoto. No matter how many armies of boars you send charging at them, the humans will emerge as the victor every time.

"I did not come here to seek the aid of the wolf-clan," Okoto said simply. We will battle the humans. And even if everyone of us is killed........it will be a battle that the human's will never forget. With that, the silvery Boar-God Guaridan turned around and lumbered back into the forest, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. The other boars followed him, leaving only the wolves, the fox and the two humans behind in their tracks.

Rukia looked on silently, watching as the dozens of boars returned to the forest's depths. I can't believe this is happening all over again," she said. "It's just as it was when Nago tried to take on the humans two years ago."

However, as the boars left, something else had caught their attention. In the pool of the island, or rather… standing on the water, taking a sip, was Shisha-Gami. San whispered in utter surprise, "Shisha-Gami."

"Shisha-Gami?" Alex asked as he turned and looked at the water and saw the Spirit King. Shisha-Gami stopped as he lifted his head and looked at those who were at his pool. When Alex looked right at him, he faintly remembered his dream of the Golden Creature, "The Golden Creature…"

"What?" San asked, her and the two Spirits' attention drawn to him.

"I had a dream, a really strange one," Alex explained as he looked at the Forest Spirit King. "In it was a golden creature that looked like him. And he said, 'Live'." as he finished his sentence, Shisha-Gami walked away from them all, lightly sprinting on the water's surface. Alex let out a lop-sided grin as he muttered, "Leave walking on water to one person, Shisha-Gami."

* * *

**Next Chapter: To Love the Ones We Hate; Fighting for Iron and Hatred**


	19. To Love the Ones We Hate

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 18: To Love the Ones We Hate; Fighting for Iron and Hatred**

* * *

**Three Days Later**

**Crossroads to Iron-Town**

* * *

A stampede of oxen with rice baskets on their backs rushed like mad with their riders on their way to Iron Town. But this time, Eboshi's people were not running from the Wolf Tribe at this time. Behind them, only several yards away, samurai and soldiers were charging towards them. The ruthless Daimyo Osano had sent a small battalion of samurai to prevent Eboshi and her caravan from reaching Iron-Town as they were returning from a surprisingly good round of trading. They brandished their swords and fired their arrows at the caravan. One of the ox drivers shouted as he helped the herd move along, "C'mon! keep the oxen together!"

As the samurai charged forward, awaiting at the other end, was Eboshi and her riflemen. They all aimed for the opposing army as Eboshi made the first command, "Get ready now! Aim! FIRE!"

The riflemen fired the old and new rifles, and an explosion struck the opposing army. A huge cloud of smoke blanketed the enemies, and they were not seen. But as it cleared away, it had shown the handiwork of the new weapons. Most of the soldiers were dead, others retreating, while some, who had lived, were missing an arm and a leg, or two, as some screamed out in pain and fear, or others tried vainly to reattach their severed limbs.

"Reload!" Gonza ordered as the men did so, and the second row of riflemen took their place. As they aimed, Gonza ordered, "Fire now!" and they fired once again, hitting the army at a great distance.

Not too far away from the little war, Jigo was watching the fight among the cliffs. He had arrived only a few minutes ago as he and one of his other rifleman, who dressed just liked him but wore a straw-hat and kept his face covered with a white sheet, watched the one-sided battle. He sighed and looked in distraught, knowing full well this was Eboshi's work. "Looks likes somebody's gonna have to play the peacemaker. I guess that outta be me." he looked to the rifleman as he instructed, "Go tell the rest of the men to hide behind the cliffs. We don't want to cause any more trouble."

The rifleman nodded and ran off, as he headed for a pair of trees. As soon as he stopped for a few seconds, other riflemen carrying red umbrellas popped up, and followed after. "And stay there, til' I send for ya." Jigo shouted to make sure they got the message.

* * *

**After the Battle**

* * *

The caravan was moving down the road to Iron Town safely and without the army chasing after them. Awaiting for Eboshi on the side of the road was Jigo, crouched while holding his umbrella. As soon as he spotted her, he hopped off and walked side by side of her, "Well, I see you're as busy as ever, Eboshi." Jigo's grin shifted into an annoyed frown. "The Emperor's getting impatient," he stated bluntly.

"You came all this way just to tell me that, Jigo?" Eboshi said incredulously, recognizing her old partner and colleague. "Oh, by the way. Greetings to you too, Jigo."

"Need I say more Eboshi?" Jigo retorted. Look, I'm not trying to be pushy, here. But the Emperor is…"

"The Emperor, my dear priest," Eboshi interrupted. "… will just have to be patient."

"He's been _patient _for the past four years, Eboshi," Jigo said bitterly but still keeping his smile. "And now I've got the old-coot breathing down my neck every time he calls on me."

"Forgive me for saying so, Jigo, but that's you're problem, not mine."

Jigo's eyebrows scrunched tightly, causing his wart to swell. "It will be you're problem if you persist on keeping him waiting like this."

"If I didn't know you as well as I do, Jigo, I'd think that you were threatening me."

"Oh, it's not a threat, Eboshi," the stumpy little priest replied dryly. "It's just a statement of fact."

"Either way, I have far more pressing matters which require my attention. Matters which far exceed the prattling of a senile old man."

"You mean like playing war with Osano again?" Jigo sneered. "You know, it's not exactly making things easier just by having his daughter on your side. You know the girl's not exactly a stable one in her own head. What with her rounding up demons, and killin' anybody that gets her riled up." he then sighed as he looked up, "To tell the truth, I actually take pity on that Wolf God, Moro. She's gonna be in a world of hurt if Yashahime finds her alone."

"The man wants my iron," said Eboshi, going back to the subject of Osano. "And he's made it very clear to me that he'll go to any lengths to obtain it."

"Any chances for a negotiation?"

"He said that's he'd call a truce with me, if I either give him half the iron we forge or half the profits it produces."

"Is that so? Well, he's certainly a greedy bastard isn't he?" Jigo chuckled. "Still, to be quite honest with you Eboshi, you'd be better off just giving him what he wants for the time being. You may have the guns and ammunition, and the Ghost Princess has her demon hordes as the frontline infantry… but Osano has the seven legions of samurai at his command. Very unbalanced odds there, wouldn't you agree?" he didn't get a response, as the Lady Eboshi remained silent. "Be as it may, Eboshi, you'd do yourself good to forget about Osano, and focus your attention on more important things at hand"

"I suppose you're talking about obtaining the Emperor's desired head of the Forest Spirit King?"

"That being one of them, yes," Jigo answered leaning forward. "…and the enormous army of giant boars which is presently immobilizing in the mountains as we speak." He grinned at Eboshi's slightly shocked expression. "About two day ago, my men and I spotted them moving in from the northern valley, and we're quite certain that the Boar-God Guardian Okoto is leading them."

Eboshi remained silent. "You know that I've never paid much mind to the odds, Jigo," said Eboshi with a small grin. "I find that it takes the fun out of the battle."

"Now, tell me, Eboshi," Jigo continued, his sleazy grin growing wider. "Is your Iron- Town prepared to fight off two armies at once? Osano's _and _Okoto's?" he grazed his dirty fingers along his stubbled chin. "You could concentrate your forces on battling the boars, and call a truce with Osano, but then that would mean giving up half of your iron. And you never know, Osano might just decide to suddenly double-cross you in the future.

Eboshi continued to remain silent, until she spoke up again. "What is it that you want from me, Jigo? she asked.

"You agree to help be capture the head of the Forest Spirit King, and I'll give you the means to kill off the boars."

"And what of Osano?"

Jigo shrugged. "The moment the Emperor has his damned Forest Spirit King's head, we'll come back and destroy Osano together. By then we'll have enough money from our reward to buy ourselves an army that'll make Osano's seven legions look like a flea's piss puddle."

As they neared the gate, and the caravan had all but gone in through the main gate, one of the watchmen spotted something across the distance. "Milady!" one of the women shouted, "Watch out! There are horsemen coming! Get in!"

The two looked behind them, and far off in the distance, they saw them. Only three horsemen were coming in, one messenger and two samurai bodyguards to accompany him. And by the look of them, they were Osano's men. Jig lop-sided grin appeared once again as he stated the obvious, "Well, speak of the devil. A messenger from Lord Osano himself." he looked to Eboshi with his grin still on, "So now what?"

"Mind your manners, ladies," Eboshi called out to the women on top of the watch posts. "We have guests."

"We will, " they all called out together.

Eboshi remained silent until she walked towards the gate, with Gonza and Jigo following behind. As they entered, they were greeted by Eboshi's women as the bowed respectfully. As Jigo was the last to enter, the gates slammed right behind him. "Whoa!" the monk shouted in surprise, and looked to Eboshi confused as he pointed to the gate door, "Wait! Won't you even talk to the man?"

"There's no point to it," Eboshi answered. "I already know the answer."

* * *

**Back outside the Gate**

* * *

As soon as the riders stopped at the gate, the messenger made his message clear, "Lady Eboshi, Mistress of Iron Town. Lord Osano sends you this message." the women listened carefully, but held their rifles, as the man spoke out the message, "You have fought valiantly and well. Now open your gates, so that we may speak with you."

"We can hear you just fine up here," one of the women shouted.

"Milady took this mountain from the Gods, the Boars, the wolves, and the other beasts!"

"And now that it's worth something, you suddenly want it!" another woman shouted, "WEll, turn tail and forget about it!"

"The Brazen Impudence!" the Messenger hissed at them, "You ladies need to be taught some respect!"

"Respect?" one of them asked mockingly, "What's that?"

"We haven't had any respect since the day we were born!"

And then they all blew a raspberry at him at the same time. "You want some of our iron?" one of the women asked as she readied her new lock rifle, "Then have this!" and fire a round at the horse's hooves. This spooked both the horse and its rider, and he and his bodyguards fled the area, as the women laughed in triumph.

* * *

**Later On**

* * *

"AHAHA! Those girls are really something," Jigo laughed as he sat with Eboshi and Gonza at the porch of one of the houses. "I gotta admit, they really are something out there. They'll fight forest gods, samurai, even demons themselves. It doesn't matter to them." he looked to Eboshi and complimented on her choice of soldiers, "I gotta admit, I'm surprised. Those women were wasted in those brothels; they're an amazing bunch, your girls are."

"Thank you for the compliment, Jigo. But we both know you didn't come here to flatter me or my girls." Eboshi then sighed as she asked, "And just out of curiosity, where is this so called '_means_' that you're offering me to fight Osano, the boar army, as well as hunt the Forest Spirit King?" The young Mistress of Iron Town retorted skeptically.

"Waiting for my command to proceed onward," Jigo answered. "The Emperor was gracious enough to place twenty five members of his elite guard under my direct charge."

"I hardly see how twenty five more men is going to make that much of a difference."

"The Emperor, also gave me this," He continued, producing a folded piece of paper from his dirty, white tunic.

Setting aside her tea, Eboshi took the paper and studied it carefully, taking full note of the imperial crest stamped on its smooth surface. "What is this?"

"An imperial decree from the Emperor, himself, giving me full permission to kill the Spirit King of the Forest. It may not be much to look at, but the words written on that piece of paper were able to employ me an entire regiment of the best hunters and trappers in Japan."

"I see," Eboshi mused, looking over the carefully written kanji. "Very impressive, Jigo. Even for a piece of paper." she then folded the paper up again and handed it back to Jigo. "An army of hunters and elite Imperial guards. So many able men at your disposal and yet you still need my help."

"Well, like I said before, it's gotten me all the best hunters from all around. Don't forget, we're hunting a Spirit King, not some beast," Jigo answered as he smirked at this accomplishment. "Think about like this, Eboshi," said Jigo. "I supply you with over seventy skilled killers to take down Okoto's giant boars, along with enough gunpowder to level a small village, and you supply me with the guns to kill the Forest-Spirit." He grinned. "And once I collect my reward from the Emperor, I come back and supply you with the means to permanently rid yourself of a certain Daimyo, who's been a thorn in your side for a long while now. In the end, you'll have your iron-rich mountains, and I'll have my hill of gold."

"A very generous proposition, Jigo," Eboshi returned. "But I'm afraid that I'm must decline." To this Jigo's eyes widened. The Iron Town Mistress continued. "My methods may be slow and sometimes tedious, but with them, there is no loss of life. Every day we cut the trees down and dig for iron, the forests, its creatures, and even the mighty Spirit Kings that dwell in them grow weaker with every passing. And I have no intention of dragging the people of this town into another full-out war against the Gods."

The priest was silent for a moment. "And I think that you're forgetting who it is you're talking to, Eboshi," he said coldly but only as a statement of fact, not a sign of anger. "We made a deal, and now I've come to collect my due. When you needed those guns, I provided." He sneered at her once again. "And without those guns, you lose Iron Town."

Eboshi frowned. "Another statement of fact, Jigo?"

"No, my dear Lady. _That _was a threat." Jigo stated, but then chuckled in surprised as he asked, "Oh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to threaten like that. Believe me, you're the last person to make an enemy out of."

An uncomfortable silence followed, as Eboshi and Jigo continued to stare at each other. "Threats are as empty and soulless as the hearts of those who make them. Lucky for you, you're neither one of them," Eboshi finally said, standing up. "But tell me… She slowly turned back to the priest and asked, "… doe the Emperor really believe that wive's tale about the Spirit King's head granting immortality?"

"I'm sure I don't know what the Emperor believes anymore. It was his son, Hexaku, who brought that idea up to him." Jigo merely shrugged at that, "I'm just a humble monk; I'm just trying to get by these warring days."

He then raised an eyebrow in both interest and concern at this time. "I also heard you hired Takemaru of Setsuna," Jigo asked. "Am I right?"

"Yes," Eboshi answered. "But at this point, he's under extensive care. It seems his prey had shattered most of his bones. Fortunately, the Ghost Princess has ensured me that he'll recover easily. Though I have my doubts when I saw him."

And for once in his life, Jigo warned Eboshi in concern, "Listen, just keep a close eye on both of them. Yashahime's so blind with vengeance on the Wolf Tribe and on the whole forest, she'll even kill allies just to get what she wants. That girl's nothing but pure rage and hatred stewing in a soup pot. And that Takemaru… he sorta has a nasty habit of disobeying orders and running rogue whenever he wanted to; he's more of a mercenary than a warrior would ever be, even if he keeps deluding himself that's what he is due to his methods. That's why Osano kicked him out of his house 'cause he didn't care who he stomped on: Man, woman, or even children." he adjusted his umbrella as he sighed, "So just be careful that neither one stab you in the back, alright?"

"I'll keep that in mind. And as for your deal, I always keep my promises." she then got up as she was about to make her way. "Anyway, we've fought the boars before. Nago made excellent practice two years ago. Now, they're much easier to kill than Moro, her wolf cubs, and her human-wolf princess. But lately, it seems we have a little run in with a half-demon of sorts."

"Well, I'm pretty sure the rifles can make good with dealign with that problem."

"Well that should be reassuring, "she stated, and then turend to make her way back to her home, "So why don't you call out that shady bunch you've got hidden among the cliffs, Jigo."

Jigo's face lit up with surprise; his little scheme had been thwarted. But instead of denying it, he merely laughed heartly at this, "AHAHA! So I've been found out." Eboshi then left, but stopped as Jigo called out, "Oh, um… by the way, Eboshi…" the lady turned around, and Jigo asked, "I wanted to ask you. Did you see an outlander pass by here? He's wearing strange garments, and not then ones from the European lands far to the East. He's got dark skin, blue eyes, not anywhere near these parts. Oh, and he's got a little fox-squirrel that either walks with him or is just perched on his shoulder."

Eboshi raised her eyebrow at this, and asked, "You know of him?"

"Ah, so you did see him," Jigo replied, his smirk widened as he chuckled, "So he did make it after all. So where is he now?"

"He came… and left." that was the only answer Eboshi had given him as she walked off, leaving the monk to his good news.

As Eboshi was heading for him, she stopped as she heard Gonza's voice, "Milady!" she stopped as she turned around to see the Guard Captain, running up to her and stopping as he huffed and puffed for air.

"Is something wrong, Gonza?" Eboshi's face did not change its same calm demeanor.

After a few deep breaths, Gonza stood up and reported, "It's Lord Takemaru…"

* * *

**Iron Town Doctor Hut**

* * *

The Mistress of Iron Town strode in calmly, with Gonza behind her, as they went to see the samurai. She didn't know exactly what had happened, all that she knew was that Gonza had said it was very urgent. In some way she thought that Takemaru had passed on during the three days. After all, most of his bones had been shattered beyond healing. That alone would kill any man. Thinking that the samurai had died, Eboshi looked to Gonza and asked, "Does he have any family? Next of kin?"

Not wanting to surprise his mistress any further, Gonza simply answered. "Maybe you should ask him that yourself, Milady."

Cocking an eyebrow at that answer, Eboshi's question was answered as they walked to where Takemaru was being cared for. As they entered, they saw Yashahime, as well as some of her doctors, removing most of the bandages off a fully recovered Takemaru. "Oh, you came after all," Yashahime chirped out eagerly, still regaining her composure, and saw Eboshi's calm, yet innerly confusing, expression as she saw Takemaru. "As you can see, now that Takemaru is slowly but surely becoming a half-demon like the outlander, he possesses not only increased strength, speed, but also his ability to heal instantly is also a worthwhile bonus in this power."

Eboshi kept her composure as she walked towards the samurai. He was still wearing his pants but minus his shirt. His hair was unkempt as it was down to his midback between the shoulder blades. His left eye, however, he kept closed, but the scar that Alex had given him remained there. She may had said that he longed for that power in teasing him, but she didn't expect that Yashahime would do something like this. She had remembered the terrible power that Alex wielded and possessed when he said that the Boar God had cursed him. First there was Yashahime, with the power of the Wolf Gods, then the outlander Alexander with the power of the Boar God, and now, Takemaru, who possessed the power of what she learned was a lion God.

She circled the samurai, overlooking his body to see any scarring and found none. Impressed but not showing it, she stopped in front of him and asked with her confident smirk, "So, Takemaru… how do you feel?"

Takemaru, remembering how easily the outlander had beaten him, despite the power he was given, made his blood boil with anger and seething with unfathomable hatred. He lowered his head to allow the shadows to hide it for a moment, and then looked up to Eboshi, Yashahime, and everyone else, as he darkly answered, "Pissed off and ready for Round Three."

* * *

**Mid-Afternoon**

**In the Forest**

* * *

With a sharp jerk of her arm, San thrust her spear into the water. A look of amused triumph spread across her lips as she lifted the spear with a freshly killed fish impaled on the tip. She studied her catch before nodding to herself. It was not a big fish, but the plumpness and weight of its body made up for what it lacked in overall size. Yes, it was a very good catch.

Placing the fish in the leathery pouch hanging at her side, the Princess Mononoke turned towards the river bank and began to slosh towards the very spot where a very withdrawn looking Alex was residing.

With his shoes, shirt, and jacket set aside, he stood up, taking an unfamiliar stance that San had never seen before. His feet were spread apart, and his right hand was pulled back to his side while his left was in front, his fingers curled as if they were claws. As he stood there, the young outlander seemed to block out the rest of the world as he looked forward, still frozen in his stance, and his face was expressionless.

As San stepped onto the soft, moss-covered ground and shook herself dry, causing water to fly from her tattered, blue dress and hair. The feeling of the wet material clinging to her skin made her feel soggy and considerably uncomfortable. It was for these reasons alone, that the young wolf girl always fished without clothing altogether. But because she vividly remembered what had happened the last time she had 'exposed herself' in front of Alex, she decided that it would be best to leave her underclothing as it was. The last thing she needed was to send the young outlander into another panicked outburst, despite how entertaining it would have been to watch.

After ringing the last bit of dampness out of her hair, she looked at her human companion worriedly. 'There he goes again, she thought to herself. 'Burying himself in his awkward dance, and acting as though the rest of the world is dead.' She shook her head and walked to where the youth in question was still standing there, completely oblivious to her presence. 'What a depressing way to pass the time.' She lowered herself to a spot that was near Alex and remained as she was without making a single sound.

And Alex just continued to do his self-training, or what she thought was dancing. He stood there, until he made a movement; he thrusted his right hand forward, followed by his left. He then glided on his right foot, as he spun around, kicking his left foot high in a 360 degree motion, and then crouched as he did the same thing, this time on the ground, and then jumped up, to deliver a 360 degree spin kick in the air, and landed gracefully back to his feet. He then stepped back, making a sort of strange backwards S figure with both his arms, and then punched forward with his left, then stepped back bringing both his fists, and punched forward with his arms in an upward C position straight forward, and stepped back, brining his fists to his side. He then stood straight up, bringing his hands to his pelvic region, with his palms facing upward, then taking a deep relaxing breath, as he spread his legs and crouched halfway, slowly pushing forward with his right palm, and pulling back with his left.

San looked at Alex's amazing movements; his upper body glistened with sweat, and his face hardened with concentration. For a moment, she gazed at him, as her face slowly blushed at seeing him like this. 'That's actually amazing,' she slowly smiled at him, it going completely ignored, 'He can actually be serious when he's like this… and maybe… a little bit handsome… for a human.' her eyes went wide with shock at that thought as she shook her head to clear it up. 'I don't know how much longer he can go on like this,' the young wolf girl thought. 'For that matter, I don't know how much longer 'I' can go on like this!' Unable to bear the silence, San got up, walked over to him, and reached over and gently nudged Alex's shoulder.

However, this caused him to lose his focus, as he stumbled a little, and fell straight into the river. He immediately shot out of the water, and crawled back to shore, spitting out water, "Are you trying to kill me, San?"

When the young outlander turned to meet her eyes, completely ignoring the outburst, she tried to smile as warmly as she could. "I caught another one," she said plainly.

Alex returned with a half-smile, as he stood up, shaking his head to ring out the water. "That makes three in all," he said. "I guess we'll be having quite the fish-feast tonight." With that, he returned to his stance after he cracked his neck a little to get out the stiffness, and once again shutting out the rest of the world.

San sighed dejectedly. "Is something bothering you, Alex?" she asked.

"No," the youth answered quickly, as he strongly yet elegantly took a step forward, thrusting a double claw palm thrust. "What makes you think that there is?"

"I really don't know," San answered. "You just seem distant........ like you're becoming detached from everything around you."

"Oh give me a break, San," Alex laughed bitterly, as he tried to continue with his training. "I'm perfectly fine! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"I don't believe you."

The dark-haired youth laughed some more as he kicked high in the air, making an upper cut kick of sorts. "And why not, may I ask?"

San gave him a glacial stare. "Because I can see it in your face," she said. "And you humans are terrible liars."

An embarrassed look crossed Alex's face as he set aside his training. He stopped and walked over, picking up his shirt and putting it back on, and sat down as he leaned his head back against the tree. "I'm just thinking, San," he finally said, after a long span of silence had passed between them.

"Thinking about what?" San asked.

"Random stuff. Stuff that people usually think about when they're really bored." And sighed as he felt like he failed at something, "That and I was trying to focus with my training."

San couldn't help but laugh, "I never thought that you of all people could be bored so easily." She then waved her hand out as she smirked, "And further more, I didn't think dancing was training."

"It's not dancing," Alex corrected, "It's Drunken Master, Tiger Style."

"Drunk… Tiger?" San asked, seemingly confused, "What form of madness is that for humans?"

Alex shook his head as he answered correctly, "No. Drunken Master is the name of the Kung Fu form. Tiger Style is the style of fighting in which it's taught; it's one of the many forms of Shaolin style Martial Arts trained in China."

"It's a form of fighting?" the wolf girl asked. "It doesn't look like much…"

"Really?" Alex smirked as he poked fun at the next sentence, "It worked pretty well when I used it to keep dodging you."

"You just caught me off guard, human!" San spat out, feeling her strength being threatened. But she calmed down a bit, "So why didn't you use it to kill that gun woman back in that accursed town?"

"Because I'm not a killer, San." Alex stated, "And two: Kung Fu is the physical mastering of Harmony and Focus within. It's not just about attack, but defense as well. It's like water; flowing and calm, yet at the same time, unforgiving as ice."

"Harmony and Focus? It sounds complicated." She leaned back and hugged her legs to her chest. "Are you thinking about home?"

"Changing the subject, I see…" Alex paused for a moment before answering, "Yeah," he said. "I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately."

"Tell me about it," San replied. "Tell me about your home. I mean, your last home before you moved here to this land."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "Why're you so interested?"

"Because I want to know what kind of a place produces a human so... so..." She began to fidget under the dark-haired youth's questioning stare. "… so completely different from all the other humans that I've encountered." She gazed up at the forest canopy above them. "And I'm curious about the future. Your future. You're probably the only human that I'm ever going to have this kind of contact with, so... it would be stupid not to learn as much as I can from you, right?"

Alex crossed his arms and frowned. "That's quite a lot of info to cover, San," he said. "I doubt I can tell you the whole seven centuries to current events. History's not one of my better subjects."

The princess Mononoke smirked. "Humor me." She leaned back with her back to the tree as she kept her gaze on Alex, "And you don't have to tell me that much, just your time."

"Very well, Princess, what you like to know about first?"

"Your former home," was San's answer. "Tell me about you home, this place you keep referring to... Flo-ri-da, I think it was."

"That's _Florida_, and my family used to live there, until we moved to the modern Japan," Alex corrected. He then sighed as he looked around and gave one tid bit of information, "But the funny thing is… I was actually born in Japan, seeing as how my mother's from it."

"So that would mean this is really your birth land," San figured. "But why do you constantly say you're not from here?"

"When I was born, we moved to America afterwards and went from town to town. That is, until we eventually settled down in the Sunshine State that is Florida." Alex explained. "And well..." Remembering what year he was in, where he was, and who he was talking to, Alex took the time to choose his words carefully. "It's just a place to live, you know ? Nothing all that special about it really, except for maybe the erratic hurricane cycles."

"Hurricane cycles?"

"Yeah! You never know what the weather's going to be, 'cuz it's always going into the Danger Zone every three or so months. Could be windy, could be heat wave sunny, could be cloudy, rain or storm, it's almost impossible to predict."

San listened, seemingly trapped in her own wonder, "It must be irritating to live like that," she said.

"Naah," said the young outlander with a wave of his hand. "You get used to it after a few years. It's the hurricanes that sneak up on you every so often. Those are the real pains in the ass; you never know if it's gonna be a Category Five or not." He stopped to compose his next thoughts. "Let's see...... we got beaches, cities, towns, movie theaters, and ummmm....... dammit, what else does the old smog-hole time zone have that's worth talking about… oh yeah, we've got forests too!"

To this, the Princess Mononoke's already tipped interest tipped even more. "Forests?" she asked. "You mean forests like this one?"

Alex shook his head. "Sort of, but not exactly." Alex sighed, knowing full well that San wasn't gonna like the answer, "To tell you the honest truth, I've never really paid all that much attention to stuff like that, so my knowledge of the natural world is kind of limited. But I guess that should be expected when you've grown up in a city most of your life." Then he looked away, not wanting to see San's reaction on this, "That… and there's not many forests left in my time."

"What?" San asked in fright and shock to hear this, "But… why? Why aren't there any more forests in your time?"

"You can blame humans for that," Alex answered. "Humans pretty much chopped up the forest because they needed it to build homes, make fuel, or they just took too many because some humans are just selfish and greedy. Those kind of people don't care about what happen to this world… like Eboshi, all they seem to care about is what they get, instead of what their actions will do." he sighed, as he let a faint smile on his face show, "But my mom… she cared. She loved nature; that's the reason why she became a florist so she could grow her own garden in the back lawn and in her store, cause she loved how much the forests just seemed to make this world of ours beautiful."

San's anger and fear disappeared as she heard that last bit. She was a little surprised that some humans actually loved and cared for the forests, just as much as she and her mother's clan cared for theirs. "City...." San repeated, deciding to change the subject once again. "You've talked of these _cities_ before. But just what exactly is a _city_, if you don't mind my asking?"

Alex pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Hmmmm....." he began. "It's gonna be kinda difficult explaining something like this, you know. Like trying to explain color to a blind person. In fact, you probably won't even understand half the things I'm talking about."

"That may be, Alex," the wolf girl replied. "But just try anyway, alright?"

"Fine, have it your way." Alex took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "How to explain a city....... well, for starters they're basically just places where humans live. And they're huge!"

"You mean like that damned gun-woman's Iron-town?" San asked, feeling a cold shiver run through her spine.

"Well… not exactly." The youth continued " Cities are much larger than that. Some of the largest cities of the century I've seen even span for several miles."

San's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, and each city is full of people, who live in these really tall structures called buildings." Alex noticed that San was a bit confused on the term building. "I guess the best way to describe a building, is that it's like a rectangular mountain that's gradually constructed by humans." He studied San's thoughtful expression. "You still following me?"

The wolf girl nodded.

"But the thing that truly makes a city different from any other place in the world, is the fact that it's always active, like an ant colony, you might say. Whether it's night or day, there's almost always something happening. I guess to put it simply, a city's sort of like a man-made forest. A huge forest, full of trees and mountains of steel, glass, and rock that, full of people all crammed together. And even though each person, no matter who it is, what color skin they have or heritage they have, goes about their daily life, engaged in some sort of personal activity, at some point in the flow of things, their actions all seem to come together with the actions of every person living in that city. Sort of a twisted, metropolitan whirlpool."

"It all sounds pretty chaotic," San replied, feeling her head getting a little dizzy from so much information.

Alex smiled a little despite himself. "I guess so, but to tell you the truth, it's pretty fun when you get used to it."

"Fun?" San laughed incredulously. " From what you describe, it almost seems like you never have a moment to yourself. And besides the idea of being so close to all those humans …" she shook her head on it, "How could anyone consider living in one of these so-called cities to be _'fun'_ ?"

"Well," Alex answered. "I guess it was because there was always something to do. You see, I used to live in a city called Miami. And when you live in a place like that, you find that there's almost never a dull moment. Even though I was just a kid when I was living there, I was always doing something… goofing off, hanging out at the beach, sneaking and exploring into old, abandoned warehouses with my sister..." he chucked under his breath. "and the weird thing about all of it is...... after you think you've done it all, you turn around and find dozens of other things that you've never dreamed of doing."

San remained completely silent as she listened to the young outlander continue to describe the world that he had been taken from. And as she listened, his every word seemed to hang onto her, each one adding one tiny stroke to the vivid scene being painted within her mind. And for the first time in a long while, all of Alex's depression and worries all seemed to melt away, leaving nothing but unbridled elation and energy. To this, San was unable to suppress her tiny smile.

"I have a lot of great memories of that city," Alex continued. "I guess that's why I'm a little homesick."

San was able to smile a little, but then, a dark thought crept into her mind. And she finally asked it out, "Alex, I'd like to know… are the… Forest Spirit Kings… around in your time?"

Alex sighed, knowing full well she wouldn't like the sound of that answer. He sighed, and just finally replied, "No. not really." the young man looked to her as the shock alone on her face answered on how she took it, "To tell you the truth, in my time, they're considered only legends; people don't think they're even real at all."

"But how can you live without the life force of this world?"

"That, I'm not really sure," Alex stated. "People just spend most of their time doing obvious routine stuff. Working, eating, watching TV, surfing the net, or whatever else we do. I guess when doing stuff like that, they… we… intend to not care about that sort of thing."

Slowly and somewhat painfully, Alex pushed himself back into a sitting position "You know, it's funny when I think about it. I've probably only been in this century for little over a month, and yet I can't seem to really remember what it was like to live a normal life. All those things that I talked about doing on a regular basis...... they all seem so far away....... like they were part of some past life, or something. A normal life.......where nothing ever happens......." A pained smile crept across his face. "It's strange when I think about home now. How simple stuff can be taken for granted. Now all I can think about is how much I want to go home and get it all back. To live in that new home we got, to work in the clinic my crazy dad's opening up, to go to that academy high school I'll probably never go to, and spend every chance I get to be with my little sister, Karin."

"I don't understand you at all, Alex," said San. "You just get finished telling me about your world, on how horrible it's become, and yet you still wish to return to it! Why?"

"Truthfully, San," Alex answered. "I really don't know. I guess even though I can't stand living there most of the time, that time and world's still my home, as horrifying to you as that may seem." He then sighed as he looked at the river, "But my main reason is always the same: I just want to get home to see my family. They're all I have back home and I can't bear to be apart from them, no matter how dopey my dad is, or how much of a crybaby my sister can be when I'm not around."

The Wolf Princess looked saddened as she saw the outlander's face frown like that. "Yeah but…"

"It really doesn't matter anymore, San." Alex interrupted, blowing a strand of his dark brown hair away from his face. "Because two days ago, it became painfully obvious to me that there's no chance I'll ever be able to go home. Like it or not, I'm stuck here, in this time and place, for the rest of my life."

"If you can't go home," she began. "What will you do then?"

Alex slumped, his head suddenly feeling too heavy for his neck to support. "I..." he said not completely sure, "I really don't know, San." His eyes wandered to his boot shoes, studying them as though they had become irresistibly interesting. "I guess when I can finally walk on my own again, I'll find some secluded spot and just sick around there for a while. You know, just stay out of history's way." He laughed softly. "I'm pretty sure that I've already done a number on the space-time-continuum with all the stuff I've pulled these past few weeks. Maybe I've changed the course of history and the planet's ruled by Ape-men now."

San closed her eyes and thought for a moment; she knew full well that this was against her better judgment. But she knew that the boy had nowhere else to go. "You could… always stay here, if you wanted."

Surprised, Alex jerked his head towards San, her reddening cheeks betrayed the otherwise calm expression on her face. What?" his expression gone to a surprised and yet calming shock. "You're kidding right?" the dark-haired youth asked.

"No," the wolf girl answered simply. "I'm not, Alex."

Alex paused for a moment, frowning slightly. He then gave San a questioning look. "You really wouldn't mind if I stuck around here for a while? I mean, I am a human after all."

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise," the Princess Mononoke answered. "And you're not the kind of human that I've known all my life. You're… special."

"What about Butch and Fido?"

San cocked an eyebrow. "Butch and Fido?"

"You know, those two wolves who're always hanging around you," He glanced around the area. "....most of the time, anyway."

"Their names are Kiba and Tsume," San corrected. "What about them?"

"Well...... unless I'm mistaken, those two pretty much hate my guts," Alex said. "And I really don't know how kindly they're going to take to a human hanging around. And then there's your mother, who really, really, _really_ doesn't like me at all, the way she was looking at me back at the pool."

"They've come to accept me," San returned. "I see no reason why it should be any different with you."

The young outlander shot her a wicked smirk. "Oh, but I thought you _were_ a wolf yourself, San," he said coolly.

San's face darkened. "Don't try to twist the facts, _human_!" she hissed. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." She took a calming breath and continued. "Anyway, what my brothers' or mother's feelings are towards your staying here with me is not my problem."

"No, it's mine." Alex defended, "You're different, San; you accepted me, even though I'm a human. Your mother and brothers… I know they'll never accept me."

"They'll accept it," San continued. "Even if I have to make them." When she saw the incredulous look on her friend's face, she suddenly scowled. "Why are making that face at me?"

Alex shook his head. "This just seems so incredibly nuts," he retorted. "Why are you so gung-ho about sticking your neck out for me like this?

As san met his questioning gaze, her tattooed cheeks continued to redden. "Because, I... I enjoy your company." She tried to keep herself from blushing even further. "And you make me laugh."

"I make you laugh?" Alex asked, receiving only a simple nod. "Funny, that's what the girls back in Miami say when they _don't _like my company." He then thought about it as he muttered, "Come to think of it, they "

"Well." San continued. "I'm not the girls back in Oakwood."

"And you have no idea just how thankful I am for it." At this the two shared a brief laugh.

For a while the two young people just sat side-by-side. Neither one said a word, nor made any real attempt to move. As Alex sat silently, his eyes wandered about the forest, taking in every detail they could. "You know," he began.

"Yes?"

Instead of answering right then, the dark brown-haired teenaged boy took a moment to look at the scenery once again. "I think that I'd like that."

San blinked a few times. "Would like what, Alex?"

"To stay here."

The young wolf girl was very surprised by her friend's answer, to say the least. "You're sure?" she asked. Alex nodded. "This forest isn't exactly like this Miami or this Tokyo that you live in, you do realize that."

"Well duh, San," Alex returned, playfully bopping her on the head. "I think I would have realized that by now. Besides, when it all comes down to what really matters, this forest of yours is actually a pretty cool place. I'm pretty sure if my mother were here, she'd say the same thing."

"T...thank you," San whispered. "And I wish your mother were here. She sounds like a wonderful person."

Alex smirked at that little comment San made about his mother. "I mean, it could use a few minor additions." Alex suggested, breaking in a little humor for the moment. "A Circle K here, and Block-Buster video there, a Barnes & Nobles, a few arcades and a couple of fast-food restaurants, but hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth, you know?"

San chuckled at that little joke he worked in, and asked once more, "So you'll stay then?"

Alex grinned boyishly, and looked San straight in the eye. "Yeah... I'll stay."

* * *

**High Up in the Trees**

* * *

As the two young teens were having their moment together, they didn't do this unnoticed. High up in the trees, they were being watched by none other than the little fox-squirrel, Isaac, and the flaming deadpan hottie, Rukia. They had heard the whole conversation between the two; the details of Alex's current future, and the suggestion that San would let him stay in the forest with her. However, Rukia did not like either of the two choices. "This is unacceptable," she sneered at the boy. "It was horrible enough to know the future from that boy's lips, but to hear the Wolf Princess allow a human to stay here."

"I don't know, I find it pretty refreshing to know that what that kid's gonna do might help clean up the future a bit." Isaac answered, scratching the back of his ear with his front paw.

"And allowing that… that… human…" Rukia said, speaking the word human, with such venom and disgust, "… that human to stay here? That's insanity!"

"Don't forget," Isaac stated, "Princess Mononoke is a human, despite her upbringing by Moro."

Rukia looked flustered at this impasse; she knew that the Princess was human, but that didn't matter to her. She shook her head as she stated, "Ah, but, um… well… she… she's different!"

"So is Alex," Isaac defended, "And if the curse is working faster ever since that little squabble and earthquake he pulled in the forest, he might not have long until the curse consumes him."

"When that happens…" Rukia looked to Isaac as she finished on her reminder to the small critter. "… I must kill him."

"Oy, it's always kill this and kill that," the fox-squirrel grumbled. "The boy's got enough problems with being killed as it is, Rukia." he then sighed as he looked at the two, as they made their way out of there. "They both will have a hard time to go through with this," Then Isaac looked at Alex very sadly, knowing full well of the boy's fate. "I know he's the Savior, but he doesn't know how to save this world yet, or the means to do it."

Rukia looked down to Isaac as she deduced, "And yet Somiesa and Otohime told you, didn't they?"

"Yes… they did," Isaac replied to the Fire spirit girl. "… and even if the time comes when I have to tell him… I'm not sure I have the heart to tell him. Nor do I think he has the heart to take the truth, nor to do what is necessary."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Neither Human… nor Something Else; Mother Is God**


	20. Neither Human Nor Something Else

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Neither Human… nor Something Else; Mother Is God**

* * *

_The once proud city of Iron Town was nothing more than a graveyard of fire and ash that surrounded him, rising furiously from a crimson sea. The smells of death lingered in the air like a poisonous fume, accompanied by the endless screams of the tormented. An unholy chorus of agony and anguish; the roar sounding like a mix._

_Standing on what was the remains of a hut shattered and burning, stood a young man, like a statue of obsidian stone, his every feature twisted and mangled as though he were the living incarnation of not evil, but pure unbridled rage itself. His two black and yellow demonic eyes, feral and cruel, burned like orbs of molten iron, wreathed in flame and hate. Blood, sizzling like acid and reeking of decay, drenched his living fur and horned armored form, splashed in jagged patterns on his golden brown and black form. _

_Fire and ash surrounded him, rising furiously from a crimson sea. The smells of death lingered in the air like a poisonous fume, as all around him, the bodies of what appeared to be demonic creatures slain by being beaten to death, torn apart, or their heads crushed. A cry that sounded more animal than human… powerful, filled with rage… and inhumanly vicious._

_And then there was another dark figure stared down at him, atop of Eboshi's temple mansion, as it burned to cinders. This figure seemed to be larger than the young man, and more well built than he was. His slim build and yet twisted frame, and his dark and yellow feline demonic eyes, both feral and full of malice, nearly burned a hole in the other figure as his shadowed silhouette was formed by the flames burning behind him._

_It was then that the first figure noticed that the second one held something in his massive and clawed hands. In his left hand, he saw the head of what appeared to be a deer of sorts with branches for antlers. And in the other hand, what appeared to be the struggling form of a female of sorts. When he felt the limp form at his side begin to wriggle again, the demon's clawed fingers slowly tightened. As he drove his finger tips deeper into the soft flesh of the fragile creature's throat, he could feel the life draining from her. _

_The First Person saw this, and immediately bolted right off the remains the building. He jumped from roof to roof to make its way towards his adversary and to save the girl. But it was too late as he heard it. The sickening crunch of vertebrae shattering under his grip soon echoed through the air. With a cruel, twisted sneer, the Second Demon released his grasp on his victim's throat , letting her now lifeless body fall to his feet. He could feel the wet spatter of blood against his legs as she fell onto the rotting pile of human remains that he stood upon. _

_Licking the fresh gore from his hand, his eyes wandered to his victim's splayed form. His cold gaze soon came to rest on her face. _

_Even in death, he could find nothing more beautiful. Every perfect feature, from the sharp line of her jaw to the symmetry of the tattoos that marked her soft skin, was still now preserved in its entirety. Her dying eyes continued to stare at him as if trapped in a questioning gaze. _

_It was then that she spoke her final words. As blood trickled from her trembling mouth, she whispered her killer's name. _

_Alex…._

_The first creature, who could only watch and do nothing as he was powerless, roared inhumanly, nearly shaking the area all around them. With deep hatred and rage coursing through every vein in his body, he charged right at the darkened beast, hopping off the ground and straight on to the roof. He roared as he neared the creature, tears streaming out of his darkened eyes, "YOU KILLED HER! YOU SON OF A…! __**YOU KILLED HER**__!!!!!"_

_As soon as he was close to his quarry, he suddenly felt a sharp object being jammed into his chest. He looked down, and saw the creature's claws as they crunched through him, splattering pools of blood on the roof. With the creature's last movements, he looked up the beast, and saw the beast's overgrown jaw, as he spoke, "You should have left this village. All you are is death. And those around you will face your cold embrace… and be as dust to the winds." His mouth then began stretching to inhuman lengths with jagged teeth… and lunged right at him…_

* * *

**Deep in the Forest**

**Moro's Cave**

* * *

All of reality came crashing down upon Alex like a tidal wave. As the last fragments of the horrible and mysterious nightmare shattered like pieces of shattered glass, the teen boy shot straight up from his bed of furs. His hands then began reaching forward as though groping for some illusionary object that only he could see. When his trembling fingers could find nothing but cold emptiness, he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. The horrible visions of his nightmare were still fresh in his mind as they loomed over him in the dark depths of Moro's cave.

Alex's entire body was on fire. Every muscle, every nerve, every inch of skin felt raw and blistered as though he had been stung continuously by a nest of hornets. As the seemingly endless streams of sweat rolled down his face, his blue eyes throbbed painfully behind swollen eyelids. "It was the same dream, again. No, it wasn't the same; that other guy wasn't in the first dream… neither was the head or the girl," he whispered to himself, rubbing his head through his damp hair. "God, what's wrong with me?"

A quiet murmuring moan suddenly broke the silence. When Alex's eyes probed the gloom of the cave, he found San's sleeping form curled up beside him, sleeping in another bed of furs, as the cave floors were covered in leaves. And for awhile, all he could do was sit there and watch the wolf girl sleep. He watched the way her back rose and fell with every breath. The way the dried leaves she slept upon, would rustle away from her soft face, whenever her breath brushed passed them.

Before long, the young outlander realized that he was starring. He looked away, blushing for some odd reason, and grumbled to himself. 'I think I need some air,' He thought to himself.

He slowly rose to his feet, staggering for a few seconds as an overpowering sense of dizziness swept through him. He shook his head as the horrendous roar between his ears quieted down to nothing more than a dull ringing. But the agony that coursed through his body remained as strong as ever. Taking one painful step after another, Alex slowly made his way through the darkness of the cave, hoping that his course would eventually take him outside. As he proceeded forward, the walls of the cave seemed to expand outward, gradually opening up into what he felt for certain would be the main entrance. It wasn't long before he realized that this was not the case at all.

The moment the dark-haired youth stepped out of the cave, he found himself standing on what appeared to be an enormous outcropping of rock that stretched out for several yards. After rubbing the blurriness from his eyes, he moved towards the edge of the outcropping and gazed far off into the distance. In the cold moonlight, the forest covered mountains were as prominent as ever, each one rising from the earth like a proud monarch of rock and soil. As Alex continued to stand at the edge of the overhanging rock, curiosity soon got the best of him. Taking a deep breath, the young outlander leaned forward and gazed down at the forest that lay hundreds of feet bellow. He smirked at seeing just a sight on top of it all; at this spot, the view was incredibly breath-taking.

"You know you could always jump, Boy," a voice called out from behind him. "It would be easier for you and all of us if you just end it there."

Alex recognized the voice the moment it touched his ears. Stepping away from the edge of the outcropping, the dark-haired youth turned around to meet the eyes of Moro.

As she lay perched high above the cave's mouth, atop the massive boulder that served as her throne of dominion, the Wolf-God looked down at the young human with an amused look. "As soon as your strength returns, the curse will once again gain in strength as well. And soon, it will destroy you. The pain that it causes you now must be unbearable," she said patronizingly, narrowing her large eyes. "Why not end it all, right now?"

"Hmmm. Death by the curse, or do a suicide dive off the cliff," Alex replied coolly, not allowing the monstrous creature's size to intimidate him. "To tell you the truth, I disapprove of suicide more than anything."

Moro was silent for a moment. Her long, pointed ears twitched while her fiery eyes studied the young human standing bellow her. The Wolf-God's expression caused a chill to pass down Alex's spine, 'Criminy! I thought that Nago, Yashahime, or that Takemaru were scary.' he then gulped as he asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I listened to you as you slept, young human." Moro replied. "I could hear your whimpers, your wails, and your every disgusting cry of anguish." The sneer on her black lips revealed the saber like fangs that lined her jaws. "And for every moment that your voice filled my ears, my desire to silence you grew. And now, as I look down upon you from this boulder, the desire only grows stronger."

"Meaning?"

"I was hoping that you'd cry out in your sleep," Moro answered, smiling with her dagger-like teeth being exposed, "Then I would have had permission to bite your head off."

Alex swallowed hard, but did not break eye contact with Moro. "Well, I'm here now," he retorted, raising his arms and spreading them wide, as though he were beckoning to the Wolf-God. "If you wanna chew my head off like a piece of bubblegum, then be my guest on the subject. What's there to stop you? I doubt anything could."

Instead of accepting the outlander's proposal or answering the question, Moro simply laughed. "What's so funny?" Alex hissed, unable to suppress his steadily rising anger due to annoyance.

"You are," Moro said with a grin that reeked of contempt. "You stand before a God Guardian who could easily rip you to pieces, and yet you speak as though were that God Guardian's equal. I find that very amusing." She tilted her long head to one side, and sniffed at the air. "I can see now why my daughter is so intrigued by you, young human."

"San… ?" Alex whispered. But then, his face went to surprise as he nearly stuttered, "Hey, wait! What are you talking about?"

"It would be too painfully obvious to a human such as yourself. Though I've often heard male humans are incapable of noticing such things," The giant Wolf-God replied. "The Princess Mononoke who despises all humans with a savage intensity unsurpassed by even the mightiest of beasts or demons. The daughter of a God Guardian, and heir to the highest clan of wolves..." she smiled viciously at Alex. "......has become infatuated with the very thing she most passionately hates."

Alex was trying to figure out what Moro was talking about, until it finally struck his melon. 'Wait a minute! San… has got the hots for me?' he blushed at that thought, but realizing what he was thinking, he immediately grabbed his head and shook out such ridiculous notions. "No, wait! You've got the wrong idea! San and I respect each other," Alex said simply. "I saved her life, and in return she saved mine."

"I was told right. Male humans are more stupid than mindless boars," Moro growled before turning her attention to the distant forests. For a long time, that was how she remained. Finally, she spoke once again. "Can you hear it, young human?" she asked.

Alex, who had also turned his vision on the forests glanced at the Wolf-God Guardian with a look of bewilderment. "Hear what?" he asked.

"The sounds of the forest," Moro answered, "If you listen carefully, you will hear them as well." She gave Alex a commanding look. "Close your eyes, young human. Close your eyes and let the sounds envelope you. Only then will you be able to hear the sounds of the forest."

Alex frowned for a moment, and did as she ordered. 'The sounds of the forest,' he thought to himself before closing his eyes. As he stood there at the edge of the outcropping, the young teen stood silently and listened. "I don't hear anything. No insects, birds, not even the kodama… just the wind," he said, once again turning to the Wolf-God Guardian.

"Precisely," Moro returned. "That is because most of the creatures of this forest sense the coming of war. Now the forest is all but abandoned; all that is left is that fool of a king, Somiesa, his tribe, my tribe, and Shisha-Gami. That, my young human, is why you hear nothing but the wind" Her expression suddenly became grim. "It will only be a matter of time..."

"Only a matter of time before what?" Alex asked apprehensively.

"Until the sound of the cold wind is replaced by the agonized cries of the dying trees and plants." Moro calmly told the outlander as she looked overhead of the boy and at the forest below, a pain of sorrow in her eyes that only a wolf could see and take notice. "I can already feel their pain, burning like fire in the depths of my soul and flesh, as they fall, trampled under the careless hooves of mindless boars."

"It's Okoto," Alex said suddenly as he turned to look back to Moro. "His army's on the move, isn't it?"

Moro's face pinched into a deep scowl and she growled again. "Yes, he and the boars are marching" she spat. "The trees cry out as they pass and make ready for battle." she then turned her snarling glare back to the boy, " But like you when you heard the forest, you cannot hear them either. And it will only be a matter of hours before he and his warriors are charging blindly into battle... the battle that Okoto foolishly believes the humans will never forget."

"I take it that even though you and Otoko are on good terms with one another, you don't have much faith in him or his tribe's abilities," Alex responded, still starring off into the distance.

"Okoto is old and wise, young human. He has seen many battles and had won them all before he lost his sight," returned Moro. "But make no mistake, like all boars, he is easily ruled by his pride, and will do anything to preserve his honor. And when his warriors storm the human's Iron-Town, he will be the first one to be slaughtered by the power of their guns."

"And what about you?" Alex asked bluntly, locking his demonic eyes with the Wolf-God's. "While Okoto and his warriors are all being slaughtered, what will you be doing?"

Moro scowled at Alex once more. "It is beyond my control at this point to do anything, boy," she growled. "All I can do now is lay here and wait; feeling the ache and pain of the bullet in my chest. And I dream past the cold embrace of death that awaits me, with the simple promise that I will be alive for the day when I crunch that gun-woman's head in my jaws, as well as tear apart the ghost princess as I did with her father. A dream that I am saddened to say, will never become a reality."

"So that's it?" Alex asked incredulously, taking a step closer to Moro. "You're just gonna watch on the bench and let the only place you have as home burn to ash? Didn't you just tell me that this entire forest is just a heartbeat away from completely being destroyed? Don't you even care?"

"SILENCE, BOY!" Moro gnashed her fangs and raised the fur on her back at the boy. "How dare you speak to a God Guardian like that!" she roared.

"You're not a God, Moro! Somiesa told me everything about you as well as the Kings," Alex sneered, enraging Moro even further. "So don't start telling me that you think you've got a bigger burden simply being a witness to this massacre!" He snarled at the giant silver white wolf. "While you're up here on this rock, sitting comfortably, waiting to die on your furry, white, two-tailed butt, we mortals are down there knee deep in that mess! Your daughter and sons being only the few of them! We're the ones that bleed, we're the ones that die! Get it?"

With anger surging through her entire body, Moro sprang from her throne of rock and landed before the young outlander, who did not move a single muscle. "You wretched insignificant speck!" When she brought face close to Alex's body, her hot breath caused his hair and clothing to flap, like old rags blowing in the wind. "Who are you to lecture me of loss and pain? I've lost more in my lifetime than you will ever lose in a thousand of them! My Life-mate, and four of my own children are now dead! Killed by the very humans that wage war on something as pointless as iron!"

"Then why not put a stop to all this, now?" Alex asked, his look softening afterwards. "Is it so hard for two different worlds to coexist peacefully? They were able to do so back then, why not now? Does everything have to be resolved with a pointless blood bath?"

Moro's anger also subsided, but her blood-curdling gaze at the boy remained the same. "The humans chose to distance themselves from nature long ago. They don't want peace, all they want… _all_ they ever want is power, wealth....... dominance! And they'll go to any lengths to obtain it!"

"But Somiesa told me it wasn't the humans alone that did that," Alex defended. "It was some Spirit he mentioned named Hexxus that started all that." he then looked to Moro with hope as he asked, "Can't there be some kind of an understanding that can be reached, between you and the humans, Moro?"

"It would accomplish nothing." Moro simply replied, "And at this point, such a thing is beyond impossible for us to even try now."

"Have you even tried?" Alex asked, "Has anyone ever tried at all?"

All the anger and rage had drained from Moro's features, leaving only sorrow. "It is too late, young human. Your kind are gathering for the final battle." she said mournfully. "Okoto's armies will be slaughtered, the forest will burn by the flames of the humans' guns to the ground and Shisha Gami will die, along with this forest that he has called his home."

"And what about San?" Alex shouted. "What happens to her? Are you just going to let her die as well?"

Moro was quiet for a moment, until she spat out to him, "Typical. Selfish. You may have Nago's power and more, but yet you still think like a human." She then took a calming breath until she spoke out again. "San is both my daughter and the heir to the Wolf Clan, human!" Moro shot back. "She is bound to this land by flesh and blood and by spirit, and soul. When the humans come to destroy this forest, she will fight every one of them to protect it. And in the end, she will perish with it. As shall we all!"

"No!" Unable to control his emotions, The youth reached out and clutched the Wolf-God's white fur, pulling it tightly. "You can't just let her die like that! She's a human being, Moro! A human being!"

"If San chooses to die alongside her brothers in battle, that will be her choice! Neither you or I have the right to interfere." Moro calmly answered.

"That's a load of crap!" Alex shouted again. "No one has the right to make that kind of a decision. Not you, not me, not even your Forest Spirit Kings! Life is too precious to be just thrown away like that!" He slowly sunk to his knees and pressed his forehead against the rock. "Please......don't let her do this!"

"San does not fear death, young human," Moro said looking down at human, crumpled at her feet. "All her life, she knew that this day might come. And she is prepared to sacrifice everything, even her own life. She will fight for the sake of those who have died protecting these lands. She will also fight for the sake of those whose lives and land she is honor-bound to preserve."

"There has to be another way," Alex said weakly. "Please… don't let her die like this…"

"There is no other way, young human. Nor is there anything you can do for her." Moro turned her back on the young outlander. "Even if you tried, you would just be prolonging the inevitable." She began to make her way towards the cave.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Alex hissed, slowly rising to his feet . "You talk about losing your Life-mate and your children..." As he felt the horrible burning of his curse swelling through his flesh as the wrist chain's red eye glowed once again; the youth lifted his face out of the shadows and glared at Moro. ".....and now, you're willing to send the rest of your living children to their graves?!"

When Moro turned around, she was instantly paralyzed at the sight of the hideous, yellow glow that radiated from Alex's eyes. Never before had the Wolf-God seen such intense hatred in a living creature. But even so, she would not allow herself to be intimidated by this petulant outlander. "San is prepared to die, young human. She has accepted her fate, Just as I have accepted mine." She gave him a stern but empathetic look "Perhaps it is time that you come to accept your fate as well."

"SHUT UP!!!" Alex screamed as suddenly, the black ooze shot out on his forearms, hands, and legs, wrapping around all over his body. The golden band reaction was as always to sprout out the armor to encompass it, but due to the limit of the black ooze, it partially covered his body. As the curse radiated power all over his body, the young outlander doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. As this happened, black ooze tentacles sprouted and wiggled all over his back, wrapping around them the golden bands to ensure they were kept in check and not infecting Moro. "I don't give damn about fate! It's just an excuse people use to cover up their mistakes! I've had enough of fate, it's all crap! Do you hear me?" He could no longer control his rage, as tears fell down his cheeks, "IT'S ALL CRAP!!!"

Moro remained silent as the boy shouted, his voice echoing all over the forest. Alex just looked at Moro, still pretty miffed, even as the black ooze film began to encompass him with the armor following suit, and the tentacles slowly snapping around, but only hitting the rock. But even as this happened, he calmed a bit as he asked, "If you hate humans so much… why did you adopt San? It just seems strange you would be this compassionate about taking a human as a cub."

Moro's rage had dimmed the moment Alex asked that question. The fur falling down as she looked at the boy, deciding whether or not he would deserve to know such a thing. Finally, after a cold wind blew by, Moro answered, "Because her parents… her _human_ parents… abandoned her." she saw the look of shock and confusion on the boy's face as Moro went on, "I caught her parents defiling my forest; attempting to steal a few trees for only they know why. And in a coward's attempt to escape, they threw their baby at my feet as they fled." as she told him this, Alex's anger began to slowly subside, but the armor remained, as his face went from anger, to sorrow as Moro went on. "Instead of eating her, despite my better judgment, I raised her as one of my own, almost as if she was born of my flesh." Moro's emotion had softened as she looked to the boy, "And now… now after sixteen years of her life, my poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is a result of two worlds meeting; my daughter, San, is neither human… nor is she wolf. As you are becoming neither human nor demon." she then asked, "How could you help her?"

Alex, almost half-way exhausted with holding back the armor before it could completely form, thought about that. His brow dripping with sweat as he wondered on how he cold help San as she did him. He looked down in defeat as he answered her question, "I… I really don't know," and then looked up as he honestly answered, "But at least I could try to find a way to help."

All this earned in a response was Moro, laughing as her smile stretched inhumanly, making the boy's anger boil back again. "How? Will you join San and my clan, destroying the humans in order to save the forest?"

Alex growled at that idea as he finally shot out, "You still don't get it, do you?" the tentacles began to grow at sharp points now, and began to shiver and shake, like the rattles of a rattlesnake's tail. He clenched his jaw as he finally shouted out, "Killing the humans is just the same as them destroying this forest! All that'll do is cause more hatred! You honestly think that's what Somiesa or Shisha-Gami would want? What anyone wants?!?!"

"And you, a lowly cursed human…" Moro spat out, enjoying the boy's hypocritical attitude rise up, "… would possibly know what those old fools want?"

Alex's anger finally reached the danger point as he shouted, his eyes glowing yellow as the black marks reached his face like a spider's web, "SHUT UP!" and the tentacles were on the verge of shooting straight at Moro, ready to impale the Wolf God Guardian….

"Alex, stop!" a voice cried from the cave.

For that brief moment, time stood still. Soon Alex's vision became filled with her, as he saw San standing at the edge of the cave's mouth. She looked at him with terrified and yet concerned eyes at the scene in front of her. "S.....San...." he whispered, his voice raspy and distorted, as he looked at her with horrified eyes. All the rage drained from his expression, leaving only a visage of utter guilt; this being the key to nullify his anger as the tentacles began to shrink back and merge with the black ooze and armor. As the power of his curse slowly subsided and the armor retreating back into the wrist chain, he clutched his head in pain and collapsed to his knees.

Within a single heartbeat, San was crouching beside her friend before he fell from exhaustion. Reaching down with both hands, she gently clutched the young outlander's shoulders and lifted him to a kneeling position. He did not lift his gaze to meet hers.

Instead he let his head hang heavily from his neck as though it were dead. He didn't want to look into her eyes, fearing what Moro said about his feelings for her were true. His short brown, tousled hair hid his eyes. "I'm...... I'm sorry," he whispered faintly. Sweat was dripping from his skin like drops of rain.

"It's alright," San replied softly, "It wasn't your fault."

"San!" Moro barked coldly. "Stand up and move away from the human."

San looked to her mother, and tried her best to defend Alex, "But Mother, it wasn't…"

"I said move away from him!"

Biting her lip, San obeyed her mother and moved away from Alex.

"Tell me… does it hurt, young human?" Moro asked. "Is every drop of your blood on fire? Can you feel the evil inside of you eating away your flesh and bones?"

Alex remained silent.

"The demon that festers within you, grows stronger with every passing beat of your heart. Even if the holy band suppresses it, it still has found a way to twist it to its advantage in destroying you. And when the final stage of its metamorphosis has been completed, your life will end. And from your rotting corpse and torn soul, a terror the likes of which this world has never witnessed shall rise. It will be a living manifestation of rage and hatred, a plague that will consume everything it touches. A force that not even Nago could wield when he too was cursed." Her voice was acidic, and dripped with hatred.

"Mother!" San cried, feeling tears about to fall from her eyes at seeing Alex like this. "Please........stop it!"

But Moro just ignored her. "Leave these forests, young human," she continued, repeating what Okoto had said several days before. "There is no reason for you to remain here; there is nothing you can do to save this forest. Soon the curse will consume your soul and kill you." She turned around and climbed back onto her high perch above the cave. "And if our paths should ever cross again, I will be the one that kills you." When the Wolf-God Guardian reached the boulder's summit, she continued onward, gradually disappearing into the shroud of night, and mist.

The two humans were now alone.

San gazed into the swirling mist where her mother had disappeared, and uttered a silent curse under her breath. She then turned to Alex.

The dark-haired teen was now on his feet, standing like a defeated boxer who lost the championship. His face, with his blue eyes staring off into nothingness, was somber and bleak. His arms hung loosely at his sides while his feet remained planted on the rock.

"Are you alright?" San asked, slowly making her way towards him.

Alex frowned. For a while it seemed as though his mind was thousands of miles away, leaving only the empty shell of his body in its wake. "Yeah, I'll be alright" he finally said as he looked to San, giving her a saddened smile, as though what Moro had told him was the obvious truth. He then lifted his gaze and began to sluggishly walk towards the cliff's edge, not once acknowledging San's presence.

"Wait!" San said sharply, grabbing Alex's arm, feeling the rough surface of the demon-marks under her fingers. "Where are you going?"

The dark-haired youth remained silent once again.

"Tell me where you're going, Alex!" the grip on his arm tightened.

Alex answered, his sad smile going even deeper. "It doesn't matter," he said. "Just as long as it's far away from here." He tore himself free from her grasp, but stopped at the edge of the cliff. He turned around and smiled at San, "Thank you for everything," and much to San's shock, he jumped off the cliff.

"ALEX!" she stopped at the edge, looking down as she saw the boy's falling form. She was about to jump down after him, until she saw what happened next.

Alex, focusing really hard and remembering on what he was doing, glided to the rocky side of the mountain and skidded on its side feet first. It was like riding a wave of hardened cement as his feet plowed through the rock. As he went down further enough near the trees, using his newfound demon-enhanced armorless strength, he jumped over to them, landing on one of the branches. Afterwards, it was a simple task of jumping from one branch to the other until he reached the bottom.

After she watched him land safely and disappearing form sight, San sighed dejectedly, "I hate it when he's reckless like that," and made her way back into the cave. Suddenly she stopped and looked down at the ground. Lying in a crumpled heap was her cloak of white fur. As she stood alone, in the empty cave, she wondered whether or not she should follow her friend. If she did followed him, she knew that there would be the risk of his unstable condition worsening. But if she didn't follow........

"Oh, to hell with the risks," she hissed. Then, without even stopping to consider what she was doing, the Wolf Princess slung the cloak over her shoulders, and started after Nathan, hoping that he had not gotten too far ahead of her.

* * *

**Later that Evening**

**Back in Iron Town**

* * *

By nightfall, Lady Eboshi was beginning to learn how costly and damaging her bargain with Jigo was going to be. That afternoon, Jigo's huntsmen and riflemen had swarmed into the fortress of a town, almost making it their own. The entire compound of Iron-Town was now totally overrun with Jigo's men. The Imperial Guards clad in Shinto Priest's tunics, and foul smelling hunters covered in reeking animal skins and painted blood on their faces, swarmed in uncontrollable groups while they greedily devoured the town's supplies of food and drink.

The loathsome hunters were slovenly, gluttonous and lacked all traces of dignity. They drank excessively, belched obnoxiously, and frequently started drunken brawls with Lady Eboshi's soldiers. They sang filthy songs, traded obscene jokes, leered at and harassed the young women of Iron Town, calling them "pleasure girls" and "whores".

On the other hand, the Imperial Guards that served under Jigo were cold and arrogant Samurai, who treated everyone and everything in Iron Town with contempt. Their faces, while half-hidden behind masks of white cloth, always seemed to be scowling, as if they knew no other expression. They wore conical hats and carried red umbrellas with long, bamboo shafts. Strangely enough, the only weapon each guardsmen carried was a single dagger, held securely under a red sash that was wrapped around his midsection.

The Imperial Guards took from the townspeople what ever they wanted, without permission or apology.

Jigo's Imperial Guardsmen and hunters shrouded the once flourishing Iron-Town with a shadow of upheaval, and despair. The townspeople were helpless against the onslaught of these mercenaries.

The only thing the townspeople could do was hide in the shadows and watch the horrible spectacle unfold before them. They waited in fear and prayed for this torment to pass, so that they might once again continue with the normal routines of their lives. Even Gonzo, the once haughty Captain of the Guard, had lost all of what remained of his courage, and sought refuge behind the great furnace of the iron-works.

As the Shinto guards and hunters ate at their leisure of their meal that night, they were being watched. In the Men's lounge hut, most of the men and women were gathered there keeping an eye on them. They looked uneasy as an elderly woman gulped, "A bad looking bunch if you ask me."

"And I thought Takemaru's samurai were horrible," Akamatsu, one of the men that always stood by Shizu, "Them or the demon's Lady Yashahime brought with her."

Koroku, who looked equally concerned, looked at the men a lot closer and gulped, "Those aren't ordinary hunters. They're killers and assassins." His face narrowed into a frightened scowl as he asked himself and everyone else, "Is killing the Forest Spirit King really worth bringing this kind of trouble.?"

"Good question," Shizu asked.

Meanwhile, high up in an unmanned guard-tower, a familiar small fox-squirrel watched with horror and dismay as a group of hunters seized and butchered one of the bellowing oxen, and roasted the slaughtered animal over a fire they built in the open square of Iron-Town. Isaac tried to shield his sensitive nose with his paws as the greasy smoke filled the air.

"So," the tiny Fox-Squirrel said to himself, "It finally begins. Hexxus makes the first move after a thousand years." his sharp eyes caught the movement of a shoji-screen sliding open in the high wall of the large house at the other end of the compound. It was there that he saw the Mistress of Iron-Town, herself, sitting near the opening, and saw most of the women sitting with her, along with that Ghost Princess, Yashahime, as well as the woman Toki and the Guard Captain Gonza, always standing by his Mistress's side.

* * *

**Lady Eboshi's Home**

* * *

Eboshi sighed like a defeated general who was just moments away from committing ritual seppuku. Rivulets of sweat ran down the contorted expression on her face, while she leaned heavily against the half opened shoji screens of her private room. While she dejectedly stared down upon the chaotic seen that overwhelmed her Iron-Town she fidgeted with the folds of her kimono. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the women talking in concern.

"But you can't go without us, Milady." the women had all heard that Eboshi would lead the hunt tomorrow. And worrying for their lady, they did not like the idea that they had to be left behind. "Milady, please. At least let a few of us go with you."

"If we're stuck here, we can't protect you." A thin woman nearly cried out. "What if something goes wrong; these men are complete strangers. We don't know what they'll do."

"Yeah, you said so yourself we're better shots than the men."

"That's precisely why I need you girls to stay here," Eboshi said sullenly, doing it her best to ease the girls of their worries. "I can deal with Beast Gods and Spirits, it's humans I have trouble dealing with." She looked at them all as she simply replied, "Once the Forest Spirit King, Shisha Gami, is killed, we don't know what will happen afterwards. Will Jigo be satisfied with the head, or will he go after the Iron as well. Jigo's riflemen and possibly Osano might come after us when we leave this fortress. Remember girls: you can't trust men, no matter how handsome and charming they might be."

"If that's the case, then the outlander Alex must be extremely backstabbing," Yashahime mused, as she turned away, blushing and drawing next to her with her index finger.

Gonza, after being silent for a moment looking serous, did his best to ensure the women's fears were for naught, "Don't worry about her ladyship. I'll be at her side protecting."

"That's what we're worried about," Toki mumbled.

"What?"

"You heard me," Toki shot back, "Even if you were a woman, you'd still be an idiot." afterwards, she blew a raspberry at him, earning laughter all over the room, including Eboshi's own, as Gonza grumbled.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

Takemaru had gotten out of the bath that he took, and draped on himself on of the robes. He took the sleeves off to allow only his lower half covered, while the rest of him was exposed. If any woman was there, they would faint or blush with ecstasy considering Takemaru's build was almost like he was carved from marble. He was slim, but his muscles were well built, like he was a professional kick box fighter.

He walked over to one of the dressing mirrors and looked at his reflection. His hair was dripping wet, as was the rest of him. But he wasn't wet with just water, he was also dripping with perspiration for some odd reason. As he stood in front of the mirror. He looked at his left eye, and slowly opened it; not surprised at all, the eye was completely black, almost as if it were empty, and peering out of the darkness was a single red dot that glowed brightly.

He took a deep breath, remembering who it was that gave him that scarred eye. As he did so, the black cursed wrist chain began to shake a little, and the red eye gem's glowed intensified as this happened so. And unaware to him, black veins began to creep up his back, and his spine started to nearly grow out of his skin, creating some kind of fringe back that would only be present on a gator or a crocodile's back.

* * *

**Deep within the Forest**

* * *

Alex had gained some good distance away from Moro's cave, even without calling on the cursed armor. Even though San was far behind, taking the safer route than just jumping after him, the only one hat followed him, was Rukia. She had been keeping an eye on Alex from Moro's cave, from the trees below; the tallest trees that there were gave her a view point of sorts for her to see them.

However, after running at high speed for so long, the boy collapsed on the ground, rolling to a halt. Lying on the soft, forest floor, with his arms and legs stretched out in all directions, Alex stared blankly at the moon as it's light pierced through the gaps in the forest canopy. He didn't talk, he didn't move, and he didn't think. He didn't want to think. He was too tired to think.

All he wanted to do was just lay there on the soft mossy ground and close himself off from the rest of the world. However, he remembered what had happened back at Moro's cave. He was slowly but surely, gaining control on the cursed armor that was being born of Nago's hatred and the holy wrist chain. But only the little things so far. The full armor, and those tendrils that formed… apparently, he knew full well it was only a matter of time before he couldn't change back at all. He slowly got up, on to his knees, gritting his teeth from the pain, "I… I have to keep going… I've gotta get out of this forest…"

Rukia landed gracefully next to Alex's far from afar, her deadpan emotionless face showing a look of concern for the boy. As Rukia, continued to watch him from a short distance, she frowned deeply. "How long are you going to be like this?" she asked.

"Just leave me alone, Rukia." Alex replied half-heartedly. "If you're gonna kill me, then at least give me the dignity to get back on my feet."

"You don't have to do this, you know," Rukia crouched beside Alex, but not touching him. Even though she was helping him through this, she remembered that he was human. And if there was one thing that he couldn't stomach, it was humans. "I know what Moro said was harsh, but you can't go. San will be…"

"This isn't about Moro, it's about San!" the youth snapped, jerking himself into a sitting position. "I almost lost it, back there; I could have nearly killed not only Moro, but her as well!" he sharply turned towards the fire spirit as he fumed, "Do you have any idea what that means to me? Do you?"

"But that wasn't your fault!" the Fire Spirit shot back.

"That's a load of crap, and you know it!" Alex finally had the strength enough to stand back up, and began to pace forward, leaving Rukia behind. "I got pissed, I lost control, and in the end, I nearly tore the entire mountain apart! Please, let me know when it's not my fault, anymore."

Unknown to the two, San raced down to catch up with the boy. Suddenly she stopped as she saw Alex only fifteen feet from him, and saw Rukia there with him as well. She was about to go over there and talk to Alex about what had happened back at the cave. However, she stopped herself as she hid herself behind one of the larger trees. 'What a minute!' San thought to herself, trying to figure out her reason for doing this. 'Why am I hiding from them? I should go over there and…' but she stopped herself, as she looked and listened to the two converse with one another.

"You are the most confusing and strangest human I've ever come across." Rukia reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him for a moment, "Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked.

Alex closed his eyes and sighed. "Because… " He hesitated, his whole body shaking. "I could've killed San back there on that rock."

"But you didn't," Rukia defended, despite her annoyance of him. "You held back long enough for San to pull you back."

"I could've, though." He started walking again, letting the hand on his shoulder slide off. Finally, taking a deep breath, the boy stopped for a moment, and spoke once more, "I don't even know why she asked me to stay?"

"Because I wanted you to." the two turned around, seeing San walk up to them as she stopped nearly five feet from them. However, it seemed Alex wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"That doesn't really give me much to work on," Alex retorted as he looked at her seriously. "Really… why did you ask me to stay?"

San raised an eyebrow, as she asked, "What do you mean? I told you…"

"And it's not much of an answer to put it bluntly," Alex didn't turn to face her. "Earlier today, when we were sitting by the river. You asked me.... no, you offered me place to stay... here... with you and you wolf-clan. Do you remember?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"I want to know why did you do that?"

"I thought I already told you," San answered shaking her head. "I told you that I enjoyed your company."

"No!" Alex snapped. "That's not what I meant!" He inhaled deeply and continued. "Why did you offer me that? Even though you knew there was a strong chance that I'll lose control and end up killing you! Tell me why San!" He suddenly wheeled on her, anger once again mixed into his features. "Why'd you jerk me around like that?"

"How dare you, human!' Rukia shouted, her eyes and fists flaring up as she was about to attack.

"Rukia, don't!" the Wolf Princess nearly shouted, causing the Fire Spirit to stop in her tracks. San stared at her friend, taken back by his sudden outburst. Soon it was her turn to frown. "And I wasn't..... jerking you around, as you put it!" She shouted, balling her fists. "I just..."

"Just what, San?" Alex took a step towards her. "Ever since I met you, I've never been able to fully understand what goes on in that insane head of yours. And to tell you the truth, being in contact with you these past couple of days hasn't made it any easier." He grabbed his head, as he groaned, "And personally, I'm getting a headache after trying to think on the same subject for so long."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Now it was San's turn to be angry. "You think it's any easier for me to understand _you_?" She stopped for moment, to collect herself, and calm her anger. "You still want to know why I asked you to stay, Alex?"

"That's what I'd like to know, ya know?"

The expression on the wolf girl's face suddenly softened and she looked away from Alex. "From the moment I first saw you..... standing on the fallen tree, with that ugly wolf-skinned cloak resting on you, and that jacket tied around your waist…" she sighed, never feeling this nervous in her life. "You were so different from anything, or any human, I had ever seen before…" she placed her right hand on her chest, nearly clutching at her heart. "I felt... something that made my insides feel as though they were on fire. I didn't understand it at the time, " She couldn't help but smile faintly. "I was too consumed with my hatred for humans to understand what I was feeling." she then turned towards to face Alex once again, this time, with a small smile on her face as she looked at him. "I felt that same feeling again each time I encountered you... "

Alex suddenly felt as if his voice had been torn from his throat.

"I felt it when you tried to save me from falling from the roof of the iron-works... when you tended to my injuries... and when I saw the wrist chain, and then… how you looked when the curse had been unleashed, in your transformed state, for the very first time......." Her tattooed cheeks began to redden. "But I felt it even more strongly… when you first kissed me."

Alex's face turned an equal shade of red from embarrassment, as he continued to listen to the wolf girl as she spoke.

Rukia huffed as she crossed her arms, and glaring right at Alex, 'I wasn't too fond of that scene, either.'

"I don't know what this feeling is, Alex." San lifted her gaze, staring into his eyes. "But every time I feel it when I'm around you... it makes me feel so... Brave, and yet scared at the same time. Happy and sad, and so many more mixed feelings when it comes to when I'm near you." She couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know how to describe it. All I know, is that I wanted to keep this feeling with me for as long as I could... because I knew that I didn't have much time left… "

An uneasy silence passed between them. A silence that seemed to last for eternities. Neither Alex, Rukia, nor San knew what to say. All they could do now was stand like weathered rocks in a landscape and stare at each other.

"You just helped me for your own selfish reasons and took me into your life, regardless of what the other members of your family thought." He felt the muscles in his jaw tighten. "And now you're just gonna go off to die just like that."

"Those bastards left us with no other way, Alex."

"How do you know!?" Alex snapped, causing both Rukia and San to flinch. "Is spilling blood all over the ground, the only solution you people can come up with? Have you even tried other ways to solve these conflicts? Or maybe you just have your head too far up your ass to even… !"

"How dare you!" Rukia shouted as she was about to pummel Alex, but didn't get the chance to.

He was suddenly silenced by the painful crack of San's open palm against his face.

"Stop it!" the Princess Mononoke growled through clenched teeth. "You have no right to pass judgment on me, Alexander Wallace Killian! Your hands are just as dirty as mine!" She coldly stared into his eyes. "When we first met, I told you that I wasn't afraid to die! Do you remember? This forest is my home, Nathan! It's the only home I have known. But not only that, I swore my allegiance to the Forest Spirit a long time ago. If by life or death I can protect him, and this forest, I will do so without hesitation!"

"How noble of you," Nathan spat. "Why don't you go nail yourself to a cross while you're at it!" He turned his back on her once more and began to walk away.

"Hey!" The wolfgirl started after him. "Get this through your damn head, _human_!" Increasing her speed, she leapt in front of Nathan, blocking his path. "We were attacked first! If those human's had never come here, and started destroying our forests for their precious iron, none of this would be happening now!" She reached out with both hands and gently took hold of Alex's face, forcing him to look at her, and causing Rukia to nearly go flabbergasted at seeing the Princess Mononoke show such gentleness towards a human. "Alex, listen to me... This is the only way. I know you don't like it, but you've got to understand, you and I come from two completely different worlds."

"That's not true," Alex defended, and sighed, knowing he wasn't gonna like explaining why. "I didn't tell you this back at the river, but in my time… the future world has war too, San," the young outlander replied, taking San's hands in his own and pushing them away from his face. "The wars in my time, past and future from yours, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, even the war in Iraq. They make this feud of yours look like bar fights." He moved away from her, burying his hands in his pockets. "And every time it's just the same story being told, over, and over, and over again: either out for power, government differences. But instead of solving our problems, like the intelligent beings we humans like to make ourselves out to be, we feel that they have to go out and wage war on each other until someone says 'uncle', or until either sides are dead."

"And no matter which of the two happens, you pretty much end up with the same result. A lot blood n' guts, and a bunch of cities that look like something from out of the apocalypse. And if the few survivors are lucky, they won't have to deal with another war for a least another generation." He stopped suddenly and turned to San. "Where does it end, San? Where does it stop?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, Alex," the wolf girl said. "But I don't." Even Rukia looked to find an answer, but it never came out as she watched the two continue their argument.

"Just answer me this, Princess." Alex's face was rigid as he pursed his lips. "Why do you hate humans so much? What happened to make you hate your own kind like this? To the point where it's almost frightening?"

San scowled and looked away. "You wouldn't understand." She felt his hand touch the bare skin of her shoulder.

"I can try, can't I?" The dark-haired youth asked.

"You couldn't even begin to understand, Alex." The Wolf Princess sulked, not even looking at the boy. "Even if you did try."

"San, please," He touched the wolf girl's chin with his hand, and lifted her face so that she was looking directly into his eyes. "Don't shut me out."

San grimaced under the hand's gentle touch. "Alright," she finally said, "I'll tell you." Alex nodded and led San to a large, smooth, rock, with Rukia following suit and sat on one of the boulders. When they were seated beside each other, San licked her lips and took a deep breath. "This isn't easy for me to talk about," she said. "In fact, it's the one part of my life that I wish I could just erase from my memory."

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "My birth parents abandoned me, Alex." She looked over at the dark-haired youth and saw that his face didn't change at all. "When I was an infant, they were caught trespassing in these forests.........and it was Moro..... the one who became my _real_ mother, who caught them." She stopped for a moment, to wipe away the faint traces of tears that had begun to build up in her eyes. "As she advanced on them....... my… my… "

"Your birth parents threw you to the ground, hoping that you'd distract the Wolf-God so they would be able to run away…" Alex butted in, stunning San in this realization. "Moro told me the whole story, San. She told me that they abandoned you...... left me to die, just so they could save their own skins! But instead of eating you, Moro adopted you into her clan and raised you as one of her own."

He saw that she closed her eyes tightly, trying her best to keep herself from crying even more. "Well go ahead, I don't care," she whispered.

"Just what exactly, do you think I'm gonna do?"

"You know what I mean!" the wolf girl snapped. "Throw one of your smart little quips at me! Make a big joke out of everything, like you always do! Go right ahead, it makes no difference to me!" With that, she quickly sprung from the rock and moved over to a moss-covered tree that was tilting unevenly to one side and leaned against it. She crossed her arms across her chest and scowled.

"First of which, I don't make a big joke out of _everything_," said Alex. "And secondly, I'm not gonna do that, San."

"Why not?" and retorted coldly, not turning around to look at him. "You've done it with just about everything else that's happened, why not now?"

"Because, then I'd just be a complete jerk if I laughed at somebody in pain." A short moment of silence followed. "You said that I wouldn't understand how you feel? San, I understand better that you'll ever know. I understand so well it even hurts!"

"What're you talking about?" San was unable to keep herself from laughing bitterly as she turned around to face Alex. "How could you even begin to understand what this feels like? To go through every day, knowing that the people who gave you life, abandoned you for their own selfish reasons, robbing you of your heritage? How could you understand any of that?" she then spat out, "Or how about losing the mother that you have now? How do you know what that's like?"

"You're right, I don't know what it's like to be abandoned by your birht parents. But I know what it's like to lose someone that I cared about deeply." All the life seemed to drain from Alex's face, leaving nothing more than a cold shell of turmoil. With a deep frown, the youth answered. "Because… I lost my mother when I was nine."

San's mouth suddenly felt dry, and the muscles in her throat were clenched and constricted. "I'm sorry," was all she could bring herself to say.

"Yeah, so am I," the young outlander chuckled. "Ironic isn't it, Princess? Twenty minutes ago, we were two completely different people. And yet, after finally hearing each other's stories, we've found out that we're more alike than we ever could have imagined, same ways or different."

San nodded sadly, "Yes…"

"It's not easy to live with that, is it?"

"No, it isn't… "

"And I apologize for this too," Alex said, turning away from her.

San looked confused as she asked, "For what, Alex?" San got up, not getting an answer from him as she walked towards him to see him face-to-face. "Alex…?"

And suddenly, San's eyes widened as she slumped into Alex's embrace. "Princess!" Rukia shouted as she jumped off the rock and ran towards the two as she deduced the cause of the princess's fall. Alex had allowed half of his curse to take over, as his right arm, right side of his chest and stomach to be armored up, and his right eye was also changed to it usual black and yellow state. Rukia snarled, "Wha..? What did you do?"

Alex scooped up the unconscious princess in his arms as he looked to Rukia with a weakened pitiful look. "Don't worry, I just stunned her. She'll be out until next morning," Alex reassured the Fire Spirit, as he walked towards her. "I didn't want to have to say goodbye to her like that. This'll be easier for the two of us," and then he handed her the unconscious wolf princess as Rukia gently took her in her arms.

He then began to walk away, but not until Rukia asked aloud, "Wait! Alex, wait!" he stopped as he tunred to look at Rukia, who seemed to show a little emotion of fear as she asked, "Do you really think that she'll just forget you like this? Do you honestly think she won't come after you?"

Alex sighed, knowing full well that San would come after him. He turned around, and pulled something off his neck; the crystal dagger that Kaya had given to him after he left the Amishi village. He walked over to her and gently gave it to her, "When she wakes up, give her this, okay?"

"What's this?"

"A promise," Alex answered. "Tell her as long as she has this, I'm not far from her. It's a promise that I'll come back some day. Some day when both man and beast no longer are blinded like hate." he then looked down upon San and gently reached to her, gently brushing away a few strands of hair out of her face. "Goodbye, San…"

* * *

**Back at Moro's Cave **

* * *

Moro sat silently, like an enormous sentinel statue that had been carved from hard, cold stone. Her eyes were narrowed and her maw was wrinkled with a ferocious scowl. Her every fiber of thought and mind was focused on a single, haunting memory that seemed to taunt and hound her like an abhorrent ghost.

* * *

_"SHUT UP!!!" Alex screamed as suddenly, the black ooze shot out on his forearms, hands, and legs, wrapping around all over his body. The golden band reaction was as always to sprout out the armor to encompass it, but due to the limit of the black ooze, it partially covered his body. As the curse radiated power all over his body, the young outlander doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. As this happened, black ooze tentacles sprouted and wiggled all over his back, wrapping around them the golden bands to ensure they were kept in check and not infecting Moro. "I don't give damn about fate! It's just an excuse people use to cover up their mistakes! I've had enough of fate, it's all crap! Do you hear me?" He could no longer control his rage, as tears fell down his cheeks, "IT'S ALL CRAP!!!"_

_Alex's anger finally reached the danger point as he shouted, his eyes glowing yellow as the black marks reached his face like a spider's web, "SHUT UP!" and the tentacles were on the verge of shooting straight at Moro, ready to impale the Wolf God Guardian…._

* * *

She felt a shiver pass through her flesh as she remembered the chilling sound of Alex's manifestation of his rage through his armor. An action that would not only have killed her… but San as well.

In all her two-thousand years as both a God and as a Guardian to the Forest Spirit, Moro had always managed to maintain her composure and remain serene, even in the most ominous situations. But in a matter of seconds all that composure and all that serenity came crashing down like an avalanche. 'All because of one loathsome runt of a human,' she contemplated bitterly. She scowled, remembering the terror that had swept over her as she beheld the human-youth's terrible power. 'What kind of Guardian of the Spirit Kings am I? To tremble at the sight of a human? How pathetic!'

Her attention was suddenly torn from her thoughts and drawn to the sound of claws scampering over rock and stone. When the familiar scent of fox-squirrel touched her sensitive nose, her scowl increased, and she growled with irritation. "Shouldn't you be out, keeping an eye on that human-pet of yours, Isaaku?" she asked sharply, keeping her back to the Fox-Squirrel Spirit.

"Not tonight, I'm sorry to say," Isaac replied. "I had other matters to attend to. Such as to what Eboshi and Yashahime were planning on invading this forest to seek out Shisha Gami's head." He moved beside the larger God-Guardian and sat beside her. "But now that you mention it, Just where is Alex? shouldn't he be in the cave resting?"

"Gone," Moro answered coldly. "Where exactly, I do not know... nor do I care."

It was then that Isaac noticed the freshly made cracks and shattered rocks along the cliffs and outcroppings. Almost as if something had speared through them, and then he took notice of the blackened ash, remembering that's what happened when the black ooze film of Alex's armor shedded off. "I see," he said. "So I'm taking a wild guess here, but I'd say he lost control again, I presume?"

"You presume correctly," Isaaku, Moro growled.

"I see," the Fox-Squirrel repeated. "Should I also assume that you had nothing to do with him leaving the cave, despite the fact he's still recovering, Moro?"

Moro chuckled. "What leads you to believe that I was even involved, let alone the cause?

Isaac gave her a scrutiny smirk with a cocked eyebrow as he looked at her disapprovingly, "Your habit of touching sensitive nerves whenever in verbal conflict, for one thing."

"The boy's stupidity and stubborn nature was trying my patience," The Wolf-God sniffed curtly. "That and his complete lack of respect."

"Actually, he's more stubborn, witty, spontaneous, and somewhat determined for a boy his age, but I doubt he's disrespectful. But putting his personality aside, are you so surprised, Moro? Kitsune said with an amused grin. The boy has come face to face with death itself on more the one occasion. He's looked both God and Demon in the eye and still lives to tell about it. Why should he feel the least bit obligated to offer his respect to you, of all creatures?

"Am I not still a God?" Moro asked, glancing down at Isaac from the corner of her eye.

"Not in his eyes, I'm afraid," Isaac smirked. "But don't let it get to you, my old friend. He has even less respect for most of his fellow humans. But he does see you as a Titan, believe it or not. Unlike Gods, they are feared even worse."

Hearing this, Moro twisted herself around so that she was sitting face to face with the small Fox-Squirrel Spirit. "And you expect me to believe that this very petulant, human _child_ holds the key to our world's survival?"

"Ugh! This again?" Isaac replied with an aggravated sigh. Didn't we already finish this pointless argument several nights ago?"

"The human is losing control over himself! Moro snapped. "And that demonic power that festers within him is growing more potent with each passing hour. What do you plan to do when your so-called _'savior of the future' _finally

becomes a half-demon altogether? Incapable of controlling the beast that grows within his soul, ready to tear him apart at a moment's notice, as well as those all around him? What do you plan to do, Isaaku?"

"... I don't know, Moro," Isaac answered sullenly. "I honestly don't know."

"Then you finally admit to your failure?"

"I, as well as Somiesa, admit to nothing."

"Then you're still nothing more than a fool, blinded by delusion, as are Yamatohime and Somiesa."

The Fox-Squirrel scowled. "Perhaps I as well as the Kings are fools," he said. "… but that doesn't make Alex any less capable of fulfilling his destiny."

"That walking abomination will lead both you and this entire world to ruin if he's allowed to continue on like this," Moro growled.

"Perhaps," Isaac returned. "But even still, I will not abandon him. And Somiesa won't give up on him; he's firm in believing that the boy's the one to save us and the future from Hexxus's choking embrace."

"The boy is dangerous," Moro growled under her breath. "His very existence is a threat to all who come into contact with him."

"How widely ironic," Isaac smirked. "Your adopted daughter certainly doesn't seem to share those sentiments." He chuckled. "In fact, from what I've observed, the girl seems to have grown quite fond of Alex during these past few days."

Moro's fur stood on end while the muscles in her jaws tightened.

"Your sudden rigidity says to me, that you don't approve of this."

"My daughter," the Wolf-God said slowly, glaring at Kitsune. "… is old enough to make her own decisions, be they wise or ignorant, they are hers to make."

"But despite that, you still disapprove of their various _interactions_ with one another."

Moro just growled, and turned towards her cave. "This is getting old, Kitsune," she stated curtly. "I'm going to rest now."

"They both have love for one another, Moro. Even though they don't see it yet, or even will admit it to each other," The Fox-Squirrel Spirit called out, causing Moro to stop in her tracks. "And neither you nor I can change that. Believe it or not, like the boy being pulled out of his time, or even being cursed/blessed with this power, this was also meant to happen." the little fox-squirrel then smirked, "And you have to admit… that's a reassuring thing."

Although Isaac could not see it, Moro's expression was suddenly filled with sorrow. "I know," she said weakly. "But you know just as well as I do that in the end, San will choose to fight the humans. And in all likelihood, the battle against them will claim her life, as it will claim the lives of us all."

"Then offer her an alternative,"

"You know I can't do that, Isaaku."

"Is it because you can't?" Isaac began, narrowing his yellowish eyes. "Or because you won't?"

The Wolf-God Guardian remained silent for a brief moment before speaking again. "The hour is growing late, my friend," she finally said. "And the approaching battle of tomorrow draws near. If I were you, I would try to make the most out of what's left of this dismal evening." She began to disappear into the darkness of the cave. "Because it just may be your last."

But just at that last moment, they noticed an individual walking towards them. The two beasts turned to look and saw Rukia walking towards them, with an unconscious San in her arms. Moro's eyes widened with shock as she turned around, "San!" and pounced forward as she stopped at Rukia, the Fire Spirit not even flinching in fear as Moro roared, "What happened? Who did this?" she then snarled as she knew only one who would dare raise a fist at her, without her daughter even flinching, "That damn human. WHERE IS HE?"

"Don't blame him, Moro," Rukia answered as she caught the Wolf-God's attention. "He only did this to prevent her from stopping him from leaving."

"Where is Alex?" Isaac scurried over, looking to Rukia for answers. She remained silent as she looked away, almost ashamed of what the answer was. Seeing this unusual emotion coming from who was supposed to suppress her emotions. Getting nervous, Isaac fearfully squeaked, "Rukia! Where is he?"

After a moment of hesitation, Rukia looked to the little Fox-Squirrel, and answered, "He's going home. I'm sorry, Isaaku… but I told him how to return to his own time…"

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Approaching Storm; The Decisions We Make**

* * *

**Alright, almost to twenty chapters. This is awesome. And as to celebrate, I shall give you the credits of more voice actors.**

**Rukia: Milla Jovovich**

**Shisha-Gami: James Garnett **

**Somiesa: Michael Clark Duncan**

**Yashahime: Grey Delisle**


	21. The Choices that We Make

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Approaching Storm; The Choices we Make**

* * *

**The Next Morning**

* * *

Dawn soon turned to morning, allowing the now abandoned forest to be filled with warm sunlight one last time. The light shined along the forest, even at Moro's cave as it pierced the opening of the cave, shining warmly on San's unconscious form. As San slowly began to drift out of her slumber, her eyes pinched shut in a feeble attempt to block the shaft of light that was focused on her face. With a satisfied groan, the young wolf girl pushed herself into a sitting position and stretched out the muscles in her neck, and arms. She then brushed a few locks of tousled hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes until the blur was gone from them.

"You're finally awake," came an all too familiar voice.

San looked over her shoulder and saw Tsume lying a few feet away from her. A slightly amused smile was spread across his face. "… Tsume?" she said quietly, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. "Wha…? What happened? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to return to the world of the conscious," the large wolf replied. "Damn that human from hurting you! The next time I see him… I'll tear his face off his skull and gut his choking remains!"

Ignoring her brother's threats towards Alex, San stirred as she "Just how long have you been waiting?"

"Too long," said Tsume. "Did your night of romance with the _human _leave you with so little strength, San?" He then shot his sister a sly grin.

"You mind your own damn business!" San fumed, her cheeks flushing red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "Where Alex and I go or do together is… !" It was then that the young wolf girl took notice of the human's absence. Where he should have rested, he was nowhere to be seen now, "Alex?" She turned her head from side to side, her eyes searching for the young outlander. "Alex, where are you?" she turned to look at her brother as she asked in concern, "Tsume! Where is he? He shouldn't be up; he's not well enough to move all by himself!"

"Don't you remember what happened last night?" Tsume asked.

San looked to where Alex should have slept that night, and suddenly, she remembered. "Alex. He lost control of his curse, and nearly killed Mother. But after he regained control, he fled the cave. I followed him and tried to stop him… and then… I just blacked out," San looked to her brother, as she asked with a pleading tone from her voice, and a look of fearful sadness in her eyes, "Tsume… where is he? Where's Alex?"

Tsume couldn't bear to see his sister look at him like this. He remembered her looking like this when she had learned of the bullet in Mother's chest, slowly killing her. "He's not here, San," Tsume answered. "He left last night… after he struck you unconscious. The Fire Spirit brought you back here as he left."

San returned her attention to her brother and peered at him with a desperate questioning look. "What do you mean he's not here? Where did he go?"

"I mean, _he's not here_," Tsume repeated irritably. "He's gone."

"You mean…" San began as her voice quivered, unable to accept this. "He just left... just like that?"

"In so many words," The large wolf answered nonchalantly. He left as he gave you to Rukia to take back here. Afterwards, she had told us that he left to ensure he wouldn't hurt anyone else with his uncontrollable curse."

"And you just let him go, just like that?" San nearly shouted out, both in pain and anger. "Why didn't either of you wake me? I should be with him now, trying to bring him back!"

The Large wolf was silent for a moment. "Because the human asked the Fire Spirit not to stop him, as she asked us not to as well."

San could feel her heart sinking into her stomach as her brother's words pierced her like red-hot daggers. "He..... She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "He didn't even say goodbye.......why would he just leave like that?"

Tsume frowned slightly. "I don't know San," he said, trying his best to lessen his sister's grief. "Perhaps he thought it would be best if you weren't awake to see him off. Or that he knew you would try to stop him, and he left as he did, so that you wouldn't try to stop him," Tsume sighed as he looked away, "In which case, you would immediately would run after him. Honestly, I think he's as hard-headed and stubborn as you are?"

The Princess Mononoke took a deep breath sighed, clearing her thoughts, "And what of Isaaku… I mean, Isaac?"

"Gone as well," Tsume answered bluntly, twitching his pointed ears. "Most likely he's on his way to rejoin the human. The Fire Spirit is with Mother and Kiba now; they're waiting for us to arrive."

San's eyes narrowed. "His name is _Alex_!" she hissed, glaring at her brother.

"My apologies," Tsume snorted.

As San slipped out of her bed, and slipped on her moccasins. She got up and walked over to a section of the cave to where a strange set of armor was kept. She began to put it on, "The final battle is today, Tsume. We need to be ready for it."

After a few minutes of getting prepared, she stood at the cave, in a new set of armor constructed of the strongest wood in the forest, and the durable bones of the most furious beasts. On her left arm, a black furred sleeve was strapped on by two leather belts to her right, and on the right shoulder, appeared to be a bone-shaped shoulder guard resembling that of a turtle. And on her left shoulder, the same shell-armor was there, but sticking out of it were bone spikes placed into it, and on her forearm and bicep, armored bark with bone to reinforce it. Around her waist, a white shawl made of the same white fur that adorned her as her cape was tied around and ended at her knees. Held behind her belt were two bone dagger-sized swords. On her hands were two hand guards made of bark as well. On her greaves were made of bark as well, with small bumps of bone to add to her protection. And adorned on her head, was her newly made red wolf's mask, with only the half missing.

It was then that she grabbed a spear, with the same bone carved blade, she suddenly noticed the sparkling, crystal dagger pendant that had been neatly draped over a nearby rock. She notice it and was stunned by it, "It's beautiful..."

"A gift from _Alex_." said Tsume, adding a just barely noticeable amount of acidity to Alex's name. "He said it was his promise that he gave to you; that he would come back to you... whatever that means."

San's eyes scanned the jeweled pendant as she picked it up and held it in front of her. "Alex left this for me?" she said to herself. Her hand brushed across the smooth yet slightly bumpy surface of the crystal gift that Alex had left for her. "It's very beautiful…" She then lowered her nose on the crystal and breathed in the strong scent that saturated it. A faint smile crept across her lips. _'It has his scent on it…'_

"San?" Tsume called out to the young wolf girl. Are you alright?

"I'm fine now, Tsume." And with that, she threw the crystal pendant's strap over her head, and slipped the rope around her neck, letting the pendant drop to her chest. It looked most stunning on her a that moment. "Well?" San asked as she turned around to look at her brother.

Tsume cocked a furry eyebrow, "Well what?"

"What do you think?"

"What do I think of what?"

The young wolf girl gave an aggravated growl. "The crystal pendant, Tsume! What do you think of the damned pendant?"

"We don't have time for this, San," Tsume replied.

"Well, make time, then."

The wolf frowned again. "You really want to know what I think?" San nodded "I think it looks terrible on you, considering a human gave it to you." This of course earned him another wicked glare "Remember, you did ask me what I thought."

San Just shook her head. "Forget I even asked, Tsume."

"Mother and Kiba, as well as the Fire Spirit are all waiting for us at the northern ridge," Tsume added. "The humans have already begun to make preparations for the approaching battle."

"Nothing's happened yet, has it?" San asked.

"Not to my knowledge. But I feel that it would be best if we regroup with Mother and Kiba as quickly as possible. I don't wish to be separated from them when the fighting does finally start."

"Right," San responded, climbing onto the large wolf's back. She shook whatever troubling thoughts from her head and leaned forward, scratching a spot behind Tsume's neck. "Let's go," she said.

And with a powerful thrust of his hind legs, the wolf sprang forward and raced through the forest, leaving the small clan cave behind like a distant memory.

And soon........all was silent again.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Far Away from Moro's Cave**

* * *

Alex shielded his eyes from the sun's glare as he stepped out from the shade of the trees. The golden yellow armor on his right arm and chest, still had not retreated back into the wrist chain form, as did his right eye and the two glyph marks stood out like components of a cyborg, or rather the armor that you'd see in a Witchblade comic book. When the horribly, twisted lens of his demonic eye adjusted to the change of light, the dark-haired youth removed his hand from his sweat-soaked face and took in a calming breath.

As he continued to traverse the landscape, he remembered the words that Rukia had given to him last light, the moment that he left her… and San… behind:

* * *

"_If you follow the river at the edge of the forest," Rukia spoke. "… it'll take you directly to the lake at the center of the main valley. There, you can make your way back to the main road and follow back to the route you took from the Amishi Village." Alex nodded to that as she finished, "There… you'll find the tree that brought you here."_

_Alex turned around and gave the silvery-furred wolf a quick nod. But then stopped as he looked at her, asking, "Wait! Why do I need to go there?"_

"_Because the tree can bring you back to your time," Rukia answered._

_Alex looked at her in disbelief at this moment, "N -No…. no that… that's impossible." the boy stammered as he began, "Somiesa said…"_

"_You assumed that's what he said," Rukia corrected as she began to explain. "The energies that infused with the trees are the conglomerate essence of the Spirit Kings. Their energies transcend both Space and Time. The tree in your time is connected from the future… to the past. They are a connected gateway that will allow you to go back and forth, whenever you choose."_

_Alex then scowled at Rukia, which made her a little nervous at this. "Did Isaac know about this?" Rukia nodded small, keeping her eyes away from him at this moment, as his voice spoke with a venomous anger, "So when were you gonna tell me this?" seeing the Spirit not answer, or almost too ashamed to keep a secret, that or didn't want to answer his question, Alex sighed, his anger subsided completely, "It doesn't matter who's at fault for secrets. All I know now is there's a way for me to get back home." With that said and done, Alex slung his supply sack over his shoulder and began to make his way down the first set of boulders. _

"_Why don't you stay and fight?"_

_The dark-haired teenaged boy suddenly froze. _

"_Why don't you stay and fight along side the Wolf Clan? Fight to protect Shisha Gami? Fight by her side?" _

_He slowly looked over his shoulder and glared coldly at the large wolf. "Because it's not my fight," he said. "And even if it was, it wouldn't make a difference if I were there or not. I'm already starting to lose control." he pointed to his right arm and his eye. "Take a look," Alex replied, looking pale as he tried to will the armor back, but no use. "I cant even pull this back now. Probably by this time tomorrow, I won't be able to transform back!" he sighed as a huge weight was on his shoulders, "Maybe… just maybe… if I go back to my time and through that gate, maybe the curse'll recede in some way. At least that's what I'm hoping."_

"_You sound so certain," Rukia said. "Is that what you truly believe? Not about the curse receding, but about not being able to make a difference?" _

"_You know something," Alex replied as he looked at Rukia straight in the eye. "I'm not all too sure myself; back in my home, I'm training to use a blade to save a life, not use them to take them." he then sighed as he looked away from her for a moment. "But something funny's happening with my time here… as I fight in every battle, as I don that demonic armor… a part of me's becoming more of a fighter than a doctor." he then looked to Rukia, almost frightened at what he just said, "I just don't know if I can start to live like that."_

_Rukia frowned as she motioned to the unconscious wolf princess in her arms. "This girl, the one that wishes to bind herself to you in both body and soul, will go tomorrow into what may very well be the last battle she will ever fight," Rukia shot out, returning a glare to Alex's frightened face. "And all you plan to do is run off and die alone in the shadows of utter seclusion, or back to your home, in hoping that the time trip will cause your curse to retreat? or run off like a coward and let the girl who loves you to die in battle without you by her side?" _

_Alex could already feel the blood beginning to boil in his veins. "Like I've already told you," he said, clenching his fists until he could feel his knuckles popping, or the armor on his right hand straining to his tightening grip. "It wouldn't make a difference if I was there or not. This isn't my war! So what's the point in trying to help something that can't be helped, no matter what you do?" _

"_At least you will have gone into the afterlife knowing that you had tried," Rukia calmly told him._

_The dark-haired youth fumed as he stomped towards her and stopped when they were inches apart. "Save your lectures and preaching's of honor, or this whole save the future speech for someone who honestly can do the job for you!"_

"_Are you telling me," Rukia asked, seemingly hurt by this question. "… that San dying means absolutely nothing to you?" _

_The worlds struck Alex like an onslaught of darts striking him in the chest. He turned around, facing away from the Spirit. "San knows what she's doing," he said, grinding his teeth. "She knows the risks; her mother said so herself. I doubt that there's anything I can do for her now." _

"_If that's what you choose," Rukia then transformed into her true form, and turned as she raised her upper arms. The flames ignited as her arms acted as wings, and her hands were the jets, as she was about to begin to fly back to the forest, and back to Moro's cave with the princess in tow. _

"_Can I ask you to do this one last favor for me?"_

_The Fire Spirit stopped in her tracks and turned her eyes until they were fixed on Alex. "You may ask," she said. "…but depending upon what you ask of me, and the way you've been acting lately, I may also refuse." _

_Alex took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly with a long sigh. "Take care of San for me, alright? I know she likes to act tough and all, but…" he sighed as he finished, "… she'll need your help out there. She'll need all the help she can get."_

_There was a moment of silence before Rukia answered. "Though you did not have to, I'll do this favor that you ask of me. Is there anything else?" _

"_Yeah…" the dark-haired youth hesitated. "No, it's… it's nothing." _

_Those were the last words he spoke before disappearing into the shadows of the trees. And once again, Alex was alone. _

* * *

"Well...... I guess I'm back to square-one again." He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "No point in hanging around here any longer." He turned back to the river, the one that Rukia had told him last night, and proceeded to make his way over the boulders and fallen trees. "With a little luck, I should reach the lake in an hour or two......... and from there......... I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

He suddenly and looked up at the sky, taking notice of the ominous, dark clouds that were gathering. '......... you should've told her how you felt… you dumb-ass.'

* * *

**Near the Edge of the Forest**

With San securely clinging to the fur of his neck, Tsume sprinted through the forest maze like a bullet fired from one of the human's guns. Plants and shrubs seemed like greenish blurs as they shot passed them. To anyone else who had never experienced it, such incredible speed would have driven them to tears and throat-rending screams.

But to San, it was as natural as breathing, or scratching her nose. There was no rush, no thrill, not even the slight twinge of vertigo creeping into her stomach. She felt absolutely nothing but the speed and power of her brother's stride.

As she clung to her brother's silvery fur, she stared off into the forest that seemed to rush towards her. Her eyes were cold and her expression was unwavering, even from behind her mask.

Finally, after they had ascended the steep northern ridge, San spotted the snowy, white shape of her mother and Kiba, as well as the black and red outfit that Rukia wore. She then leapt off of Tsume's back and approached her.

But the Wolf-God made no attempt to acknowledge her. Her attention was locked on something in the distance.

San bit her lip and took in a deep breath. 'Hiding from her will do me no good,' she thought to herself. 'If she knows about my feelings for Alex, then there's nothing I can do. I can't change how I feel.'

"Come here, San," Moro said suddenly, causing her human daughter's heart to skip.

San took in one more deep breath and slowly approached her mother. When she was standing at her side, she could see her reflection in the orb of the Wolf-God's large eye. Mother?" she began.

"Look down there."

Though startled by the Wolf-God Guardian's severe demeanor, San followed her mother's gaze until she was looking down into the clearing that lay far below them. What she saw was a sight that chilled her blood.

Humans...... everywhere...... more than she had ever seen in her life!

They were all scurrying about like ants, digging long trenches, moving various pieces of supplies and equipment, setting up barricades, and leading their bellowing oxen from one side of the clearing to the other. A gargantuan pillar of grey rock stood at the heart of the clearing, looming over everything like a great king. Atop it's peak, San could see even more groups humans, surveying the work being carried out below. And in the back, chained demons that resembled dogs with their rib cages ablaze like furnaces, growled and roared, awaiting to taste the flesh of either the humans or the enemies.

"Tell me what you see, San," Moro whispered.

"Humans, along with demons," San answered. "It looks like they're setting up some sort of rampart."

"They're preparing for Okoto's assault."

"With a few trenches and barriers of chopped wood?" San scoffed. "Do those stupid humans honestly expect to defend themselves? The demons could make up for those, but I still don't understand about the barriers if they bothered."

"No," Moro answered, grimacing at the stinging pain that throbbed deep in her flesh. "Because they have no need to."

"What do you mean?"

"Look again, San," the Wolf-God ordered. "Tell me what you see."

San gave her mother a questioning look before returning her attention to the clearing once more. "Smoke," she said, "There's smoke rising from fires scattered about the clearing." It was then that San began to noticed the foul reek that was slowly saturating the air from the areas to which the humans lit ablaze. She brought her hand to her face, covering her mouth and nose. "The smell....... It makes me sick just breathing it!"

"Precisely," Moro returned. "They're burning the excrement of their own filthy oxen."

"I don't understand."

"They're trying to kill our sense of smell," Rukia deduced aloud. "They think that it will make us vulnerable to an attack."

San scowled, "It's that damned woman again," she sneered as she saw from a distance, on the edge of the cliff from afar, the target of their clan. Walking and stopping at the edge of the clearing of the cliff, Eboshi stopped and surveyed the soon-to-be battlefield, along with Jigo, Gonza, Yashahime, and Takemaru, who surprisingly wore less armor than his usual. It was when Jigo pointed out towards the front, that Eboshi turned towards Moro's direction… almost as if she knew that they were there watching her. "She knows we're out here," San replied, "… she's taunting us."

To this Moro chuckled, "Such a stupid trap," she said. "And yet so very clever in it's simplicity."

"Trap?", San and Rukia looked to the Wolf Clan's leader as they awaited for a reply.

"They're trying to lure us out into the open........ It would seem that the humans are planning something that we are not expecting."

"But what about Lord Okoto?" San asked, "We have to stop him while there's still time! We can't just stand by and watch the humans slaughter them all!"

"Okoto's too old and too stubborn," Moro said grimly. "He won't listen me, nor to Somiesa, if he decides to even take part in this battle. None of the boars will. Even though he knows it's a futile move on his part, he intends to attack from the front. The boars are a proud race, San. And even if they know they'll be playing right into a trap, the last one left alive will still be charging blindly forward until he either reaches his objective....... or until he himself is killed."

And this was made evident as San, Rukia, and the wolf clan looked to see a rumbling coming from the forest. An army of Okoto's boars roared and squealed, gray markings painted on their bodies and faces, charged forward. As they did, shots and what appeared to be firework missiles shot right at them. The projectiles hit the ground, missing the boars as they kept charging forward to the defiant humans that defiled the forest.

San cursed under breath. As she looked down at the clearing one last time, her eyes were suddenly drawn to where the open grass fields met the edge of the forest, where several groups of humans were hastily chopping or blowing down one great tree after another. "They're cutting down the trees," she said. "Why would they do that?"

"To make the boars angry," the Wolf-God muttered. "Which in turn will make them stupid. It will only be a matter of time before they come charging forth, blind with anger that they won't see the attack until it's too late." She suddenly felt her human daughter pressed tightly against her neck.

"Mother," San said quietly, burying her face in her mother's soft fur. ........I have to go. Okoto's blind........... I must be his eyes. Please mother............ If I can't convince him to turn back, at least let me try to help him.

Moro closed her eyes and let herself sink into a state of total stillness. "Do as you must, San," she finally answered, keeping her eyes closed. "But there is something I must ask you."

The Princess Mononoke drew away from her mother and stared at her, "Yes, Mother?"

Moro asked, "If you were given the chance… would you choose to live your own life?"

"I…" San stammered a bit, not understanding what her mother was asking of her. "I… I suppose I would."

"That's all I needed to know," Moro answered. "You know… that boy, whether he said it or not, I know that he wanted to stay… to share his life with yours."

San was near to tears at this time hearing that name, until her voice quivered, "I hate him!" she shouted, clutching handfuls of her mother's fur and obviously denying how she felt about Alex to her mother, "I hate all humans." she pulled away, walking back to Kiba as she hopped on his back. But before she did, she looked to Rukia as she spoke, "Rukia. I have a favor to ask."

"Anything," Rukia asked as she transformed.

"Go find Alex and stay with him," San ordered. "He'll need your help." and with that, she raced with Kiba and Tsume, heading straight towards the battlefield.

"Moro," Rukia spoke up as Moro's children were out of sight. "Are you sure that they'll be alright?"

"They can take care of themselves, Rukia. I've rasied them myself, after all." The Wolf-God frowned. "It's the human that I'm worried about."

"Shouldn't I go with them?"

"No. If there is even the faintest possibility that we can protect the Forest-Spirit, I intend to use everything within my power to see it done."

"What do you wish me to do?"

"Help Isaaku find the boy, as my daughter asked you to. When all of you arrive, take him and find Shisha-Gami. If he is the one to protect him, then he had better be ready."

"I'll do what I can," Rukia replied. "But what about you?"

Moro rose to her feet. "I will stay by Shisha Gami's side. As I said before, if there is even the faintest possibility that we can protect the Forest-Spirit, I intend to use everything within my power to see it done."

* * *

**Near the Battle Field**

* * *

The Boars all marched with one another, going and getting ready to the battlefield. The remaining others helped each other to paint themselves ready for the war. They stuck their snouts in the mud, and painted those ready for the battle at hand. When they were ready, they all charged head in, dodging the blasts and shots that the humans fired upon them as they charged up the hill and mountain side.

And then, joining them in the charge, San and her brothers raced alongside them. San pulled her mask over her face as she readied her spear staff at the ready. She charged a little bit faster as she called out, "The Wolf Clan has come to fight along side you." she then looked to both her sides as she asked, "Do any of you know where Lord Okoto is?" one of the boars squealed aloud as he spoke to her. After receiving her answer she nodded, "Thank you," and she charged off, in search of Okoto.

The army raced along the grassy and forest path to where the humans were. Then suddenly, high in the air, Rukia rocketed as she overlooked the battle. She then whispered as she looked to where San was, "You could've said you loved him." she smirked sadly as she shot straight forward, flying at a tremendous velocity, "You're as stubborn as ever, Princess Mononoke."

* * *

**Far Away from the Forest**

* * *

The rain was cold as it started to pour lightly but persistently. It was so cold that when it fell against Alex's skin, it chilled him to the bone. But he didn't care. Even as his whole body shook and shivered, the young outlander pushed onward, taking one soggy step after another. He didn't care about the cold nor did he care about the wet or discomfort.

None of it mattered to him.

Not anymore.

He trudged onward, the sound of thunder booming in the distance, rumbling through the freezing air like a small earthquake. He stopped briefly, his feet planted solidly against the wet ground while his eyes searched the grayness of the low clouds from some sign of letting up.

'Wish I still had my cloak,' he thought to himself, placing both hands in his pockets. 'The stupid thing really would've come in handy right about now.' He suddenly sneezed, causing his entire body to jerk forward. But I guess there's no point in crying about it now. I left it back in Iron Town as soon as I fled, end of story.' He wiped his nose against the back of his hand and continued on.

For how long he walked, the dark-haired youth had no idea. He was only thankful that by the time he found he could go no further, the rains began to cease, allowing his half-frozen body to feel the warmth of sun light once more. And as the clouds slowly drew away, he could tell that he was finally nearing the lake, the thick smell of the ironworks burning his nostrils as it hung in the air like some unseen ashroud.

'Almost there,' Alex ran his armored hand over his face, wiping away the water that had been left by the rain. As he continued to dry himself, he spotted a small rock. He looked at his right arm, the armor still there, and not receding back into his wrist chain. And the longer he looked at it, the more inviting the armor seemed to become. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a small breather,' he thought to himself as he approached the rock, settling upon its smooth gray surface, glad to finally be off his feet.

"I shouldn't be here," he said aloud. "I should be home, back in Suburban Tokyo, starting classes, being uncomfortable in a uniform, getting strong armed by dick-head jocks and zoning out on T.V., and surfing the internet till my eyes fall out of their sockets." He looked up at the blue sky as it loomed high above him. "This is all wrong."

"Unfortunately, that can't be helped," a familiar voice spoke up. "You're not back in in Suburban. You're not starting your classes nor are you getting strong armed by dick-head jocks and zoning out on T.V. And you're not surfing the internet."

Alex allowed his gaze to break away from the sky. What he found looking back at him was a familiar fox-squirrel with clever green eyes.

"So," he said slowly, staring blankly at the fox. "You followed me after Rukia told me about the way home?"

Isaac grinned. "You don't sound very surprised."

"That's because I'm not," Alex retorted. "I'm a little miffed that you and Somiesa didn't tell me about the way back home." he fumed, "Were you trying to keep me from going home?"

"I would've told you as soon as the battle was over."

"Yeah I'll bet." Alex leaned forward and gave the Fox-Squirrel a wry smile. "So tell me... have I been wandering around Feudal Japan with an incognito Fox-Squirrel tagging along beside me? All for what? To play the hero of the future, when I don't even know how? And I don't even know why you're even following me?"

"I was simply guiding you," Isaac answered.

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "Guiding me?" he asked contemptuously. "Please," Alex shook back waving a dismissive hand in the air. "I've heard this speech from that Tree Ape Spirit King, Somiesa. So just me a favor and spare me the spiritual-purity speech, okay?"

"It has nothing to do with spiritual-purity."

"Then what is it, Isaac?" Alex replied, his patience wearing really thin at this point. "What was going on in that sick little mind of yours when you, Oto-hime, and Somiesa put this whole crazy plan of yours together? Just what were you trying to accomplish?" he asked.

"A better future," the Fox-Squirrel answered. "They, along with the other Five Spirit Kings, wanted to bring about a better future. For both nature and humanity alike. I know it was an arrogant move on our part, but… they had to try."

"And what's wrong with the future that already exists?" Alex asked. "I know it's not perfect but…it could be worse…a lot worse."

"Alex," Isaac said calmly. "The Forest-Spirit King of Balance, Shisha-Gami, is going to die."

Alex's demonic eye twitched, "What did you say?"

"The Forest-Spirit of Balance, Shisha-Gami, the King of the Spirit Kings, is going to die. And because of that, this forest... this country... this entire world will gradually begin to suffer." Isaac pleaded. "Hexxus, the very Spirit King of Destruction, the Fallen Spirit King, will see this as his opportunity to take Shisha-Gami's essence, make it into his own power, twisting the power of Life and Death in his own twisted ways."

"So why didn't you get someone from this century to do something about it? Why the hell did I have to get dragged into this?"

"Because..." Isaac hesitated. He knew that if he finished this sentence, everything would change. "Because only a human with an exceptionally powerful will, and within him the energies of the Spirit Kings as his own." Isaac looked to the boy with hope of understanding, "There was no other human for that, than one who was given the life energies of the Spirit Kings before."

Alex's face became blank. "I don't understand."

"You were brought here… the only way you could've been brought here, Alex... Was because before you were born, your soul would've been the combined conglomerate of the Spirit King's energies. The Spirit Kings gave you life, and now… now you must use that to save theirs in order for them to save you. To take the place of the Spirit King's champion, by succeeding where the former champion that imprisoned Hexxus, would have eventually failed, and help bring about a better future, not just for the forest, but humanity as well, forging a bigger and possibly brighter future for you and everyone else in your time." he then sighed, "And in order to do that… you have to accept the Spirit King's powers in order to bring htem to Oto-hime, named Yamatohime… by collecting the lives of the Spirit Kings first."

"They… they did what?" Alex suddenly felt nauseous, his mouth hanging open like a door off its hinges. "But I… I don't even know… I mean…" The whole reason as to why he was pulled here began to pound through his head like a hammer. "I was pulled out of my century... For all that? To… kill the Spirit Kings first?"

"Yes." Isaac answered. "If Hexxus takes them first, he'll defile their essence, making it impossible for the Spirit Queen to resurrect them… their spirits lost forever in darkness."

"But … but that's just insane! I don't fucking believe I'm hearing this!" Alex shouted, causing the Fox-Squirrel to flinch, "Why did it have to be _me_?"

"Because you were the only one who could…!"

"SHUT-UP!" Alex shouted, more depressed than angry, "Anyone would have made a better choice than me! And maybe someone better could do such a dirty job, but not me! I don't want any more deaths!"

"Which is exactly why you were the obvious choice, Alex." Isaac told Alex seriously now. "Humans are all very capable of taking life, Alex. You're both strong, fast, intelligent, and braver than you think. But it takes a human, wo does not seek to cause death… that is a human that is worthy to hold onto the essence of the Spirit Kings to keep htem purified of evil."

"But what makes you think I can do this?"

"Because," Isaac continued. "You posses the one thing that he does not."

"Madness that would rival Jack Sparrow's?" Alex asked sarcastically

"Resolve," Isaac answered.

"Everyone has resolve, Isaac." Alex retorted. "Why am I so different?"

"Not like you do, they don't," Isaac moved closer to Alex and looked up at him. "That's why the Spirit Kings chose you." he then smirked as he explained, "For as long as I've been with you, and seen you, I've never seen any human who fiercely protected those that he cared about."

"I don't really know what to think who I am, or what I'm capable of anymore," Alex said, the anger and passion now lost from his voice. He looked to his fox-squirrel companion once more, his expression powerless. "I can't do this, Isaac. I can't do this alone"

"Then let me help you," Isaac smiled. "That's why I and Rukia are here. To join you on this journey. As is San."

"San?" Alex asked, but he shook his head. "There's nothing you nor Rukia can do for me, now," he said. "I was brought from the future to be a savior…but in the end… I couldn't even save myself."

"Did you really try?" Isaac asked.

"…I'd like to think I did.", Alex lied to himself, knowing full well, he hardly ever tried on this.

"Then how can you pass such harsh judgment on yourself?" Isaac asked the boy. "As long as you're still alive, you have a chance to make things right again for all of us, human and beast alike. Everyone, every creature, every living thing has the power to take control of their fate. All they need is the will to do it. Are you going to just stand there and tell me that you no longer have that will, Alex?"

Alex's arms remained crossed, his scowl deepening. "I don't think I ever had the will to begin with. I'm just one human, Isaac…a human! And in all this time that I've been trapped in this century, I've managed to accomplished absolutely zip."

"Only because you never tried," Isaac replied dryly.

And for a long time, not another word passed between him nor the fox-squirrel. As Alex started to speak, a deafening crash suddenly pulled their attention towards the lake. Another crash followed, and then another.

"What the hell was that?" Alex said, dashing up the side of the hill. When he and Isaac reached the top he looked across the valley, his blue and yellow eyes pierced through the fog as it rolled across the lake. More explosions erupted, each one louder than the last. When the fog started to clear, Alex's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Hundreds no—thousands of armor-clad samurai were at that moment laying siege to a battle-worn Iron-Town. Swords and spears were raised high, glinting cold and hungry in the sunlight, while volleys of arrows sailed through the air in all directions, darkening the sky like a ravaging swarm of locusts. The town itself lay riddled in a chaos of raging fires and billowing walls of smoke, it's once proud industrial structures now broken and marred with arrows. And all around its impenetrable barriers, the bodies of countless dead samurai littered the ground.

Both Alex and Isaac watched the scene unfold before them, especially Alex, gnawing his bottom lip, dumbstruck by the mindless brutality that stretched out before him. "My God…" he murmured. "They're really going at it down there, aren't they?"

"The town's defenses seem to be holding out," Isaac said, standing beside Alex. "But for how long?"

"You think those people have a chance, if those maniacs get through?"

Kitsune paused then answered "I don't know. But if those defenses don't hold…"

Nathan returned his gaze to the under-siege Iron-Town, watching in dead silence as a throng of armored samurai surounded the main gate, beating relentlesly against its wooden frame in an on going effort to bring it down. He could hear the all to familiar sound of gunfire, and watched as several Samurai fell dead to ground.

Suddenly, a fireball boomed in the sky as the two looked upward. And then suddenly, it fell straight down at them; with no time at all, the two jumped out of the way screaming as it crashed right behind them. The explosion sent them flying a few feet away, until it died down, and the two got back up, brushing the dirt off of them. Alex and Isaac, despite their better judgments, walked towards it. "What the heck was that?" Alex asked as they saw a figure walking out of the dust, and then revealed… herself to them, as they both shouted, "Rukia?"

Rukia, still in her Spirit Form, weakly walked up to them both, as Isaac shouted, "ARE YOU NUTS? YOU COULD'VE KILLED US BACK THERE!"

"I'm sorry to have done such a landing," Rukia replied, using all her strength to stay up on her feet. "But San…"

"San..?" Alex asked, the color of his face nearly draining out of it. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"She's fighting along side the boars and Okoto," Rukia answered as she collapsed to her knees, bowing her head down as she spoke again, "But the humans have the advantage. They've brought riflemen, traps, and even demons to fight against them."

"And you just left her there?" Alex asked completely shocked by this news.

"She told me to go find you," Rukia answered, her voice cracking with sorrow, much to Isaac's surprise. She then wept as she cried out, "I beg of you, Alex… please… please save her! Save Shisha-Gami! Save this forest… save the one that loves you as well! Please save San!"

But no matter how many shots were fired, more samurai just seemed to emerge to quickly replace the fallen. If those bastards break though that gate Alex thought to himself. 'All those people… Kuroko… Toki… they'll all be as good as dead. They're all fighting, while I stand around here…' His thought then went to San, charging into a battle she could get killed in, 'San…' It was then the young outlander realized he was holding the dagger at his waist.

"Alex," Isaac asked, as Rukia and he looked up to the teenaged human. "What are you thinking?"

For a long time, Alex did not answer. "I think it's time that I finally grew up a little," he finally said as he looked to Isaac and Rukia, giving them a half-smirk. "I was brought here to make things right or make it better… to be a savior." He gripped the machete dagger tighter, his sweaty fingers slipping against the handle. "So far I haven't really lived up to the title…" he then walked over to Rukia as he helped her back up with his demonic armored hand. "I think it's high time that I changed that."

Rukia cupped her mouth, hiding her teary smile. Isaac immediately transformed as he roared, "Now that's more like it!"

Alex immediately hopped on to Isaac's back as he shouted, "Let's go!" With that the duo stepped over the hill and slowly started to make his way towards Iron-Town, with Rukia going airborne and following them both.

"Gotta admit!" Alex complimented as he rode on Isaac's back, "You're a lot easier to ride and steer than the Amishi's red elks!"

"And what exactly are you gonna do, Alex?" Isaac roared out, half amused at the unexpected change in the boy's spirit.

"What do ya think?" As Alex tightened his grip on Isaac's fur, a faint grin touched his lips. "I'm gonna go pick a fight!"

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Battle Iron Town and the Forest; Lives Lost and Saved**

* * *


	22. The Battle of Iron Town and the Forest

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Battle Iron Town and the Forest; Lives Lost and Saved**

* * *

**On the Battlefield of Iron Town**

* * *

A couple of Lord Osano's samurai were preparing to join the others on the siege to Iron Town. That is until a mighty roar stopped them in their tracks. They racked up the hill, their leader a heavily armored samurai with a grass and straw cloak, made it to the top of the hill, and saw what was charging right a them. It was a giant furred beast with green eyes, and riding on it was a strangely clad teenaged outlander, with a bizarre looking armored arm, and they were charging at them at full speed.

"Halt! Who goes there?" the leader bellowed out, thinking it was a servant of the Forest Gods.

"Oh great," Alex groaned. "More Samurai thugs again?"

Isaac growled as he still ran forward, noticing the Samurais were getting either weapons at the ready, "So what now, Alex? Want me to plow through and rip'em apart?"

"You've got a nasty mind there," Alex joked. "Nah, we gotta get past them. We can't afford to waste any time!"

The samurai noticed that the stranger wasn't stopping, so their leader shouted once again, "Halt, I said!" and yet the boy still continued, "The boy must have a death wish! If that's so…!" he roared out his battle cry as he and his men charged forward with their weapons at the ready.

But before they could go near the two, a massive flame blast shot in between them, creating a wall of fire. The samurai stopped, but some got burnt as they flailed around screaming. Their leader looked up, and saw a flying flaming woman soar above them and past towards Iron Town. "A… A demon!" the leader cowered, and got kicked over as Alex and Isaac jumped over the massive flames, and Alex kicked the samurai to the ground as he past them.

"That's Fire Spirit, Genius!" Alex shouted. "Get it right next time" and Isaac jumped into the water.

For a moment, the two remained submerged as arrows were shot right at them. Fortunately, the water slowed down the arrow's speed, completely reducing their threat. The two broke the surface as Isaac swam towards the Iron Town, with Alex still on his back. With Rukia over their heads, they were home free to get to Iron Town with no problems along the way.

The samurai who were left behind, looked at the strange scene before them. "What the devil are those things?"

"Who cares!" An archer shouted as he and the other archers drew their bows, "Their heads are mine!" they immediately fired another shower of arrows that were reaching their targets.

Alex saw this, and immediately, thinking this time, concentrated on his left arm. 'C'mon… transform already!' and within split seconds, his left arm and left side of his chest, was encompassed in the golden yellow armor set. With both arms, he swatted them away, the arrows shattering or getting knocked away. Rukia, being shot at as well, she dodged most of the time but at times when she didn't, she used her secondary arms to fire flame throw blasts at the incoming arrows, turning them into ash as they fell to the water below.

The secondary samurai took notice that the strange creatures were knocking or blocking the arrows. He turned towards the archers, "Don't waste your arrows! They keep knocking them away."

"They're dead anyway!" the Archer shouted as he and his men were prepared to fire again, despite the captain's orders to cease fire. However, a giant fireball shot straight at them, hitting the archers as they nearly incinerated, and the half burnt or slightly singed samurai to run away in terror.

Rukia flew overhead and observed her handiwork, as Alex shouted, "Don't you think that was a little overkill, Rukia?"

"They didn't leave me with much choice!" the Fire spirit shot back.

"Forget it!" Alex shouted as they continued to make their way to the besieged Iron Town.

* * *

**Back at Iron Town**

* * *

Toki ducked behind a wooden piling, evading the arrow that had been aimed for her head. "They certainly are a persistent bunch, aren't they?" she asked, loading another round into her rifle.

"They're men, what more can you expect," Komi, one of Eboshi's servant's replied while firing off her own rifle. The young girl smiled as she watched the samurai commander she had fired upon, suddenly fly off his charging horse, blood and smoke spilling from his chest. "Still, it'd be nice if there weren't so many of them!"

When her rifle was prepared and ready, Toki swung around, and quickly fired. The bullet shot clear across the lake, striking another samurai in the leg, blowing it off at the unfortunate man's knee. "That makes nine for me!" she called out while ducking for cover once more. "You ready to give up, Komi?"

Komi chuckled. "Don't get cocky, Toki, you're only leading me by four at the moment."

"Six!"

"I'll beat that in an a quarter-hour."

It was at that moment, Komi had noticed three figures heading towards the unoccupied area of the walls. They appeared to be a giant wolf-like beast, an armored boy, and a flying fire bird girl. Komi shouted, "Demons! Demons are invading Iron Town!" She readied her rifle to fire on either one of the three.

Toki immediately heard Komi's shouting and rushed over to see the demons. But the moment she laid eyes on the armored one, she immediately stopped Komi, "Komi, wait!" the other girl stopped as Toki and Koroku, as well as a few other girls raced over to see a familiar face.

Toki smirked as she shouted, "Hey, Alex!"

"Toki!" Alex shouted back, glad to see a familiar face. "You alright? What the hell's going on here?"

"So you're not a ghost! That's great," Toki shouted with enthusiasm. "Don't worry, this is nothing!" but then she and the others dodged some arrow shots that missed them but hit the walls. She and the girls got back up and she sheepishly grinned down to Alex, "Okay, it's something! Lord Osano's samurai thought they try and ambush us while the men were away!" she smirked as she held her rifle up proudly, "They honestly thought we'd just roll over as soon as they popped up!"

"Yeah, we showed them!" one of the women shouted in triumph.

Alex smirked at that, knowing full well not to mess with Iron Town's women. "Clearly they don't know you women very well!" he chuckled at that, "Personally, I feel sorry for those samurai!" that of course earned full hearted round of applause of laughter from the girls.

"Excuse me!" Rukia spoke up, getting their attention. "Where's this Lady Eboshi? We need to speak with her! It's urgent!"

Not wasting time with asking introductions, Toki, who trusted Alex considering he didn't kill Eboshi last time, answered the fire girl's question. "She took every able-bodied man to the forest, along with Yashahime and Takemaru." Toki, knowing full well that the fire girl and the giant fox-squirrel beast were probably Forest Guardians of sorts, took a deep breath and finished, "They all went after the Forest Spirit King!"

The trio looked to each other in fear on this, and Alex shouted, "I'm sorry, Toki, but we've gotta stop her! Do you have any idea where she might've gone?"

"She went to where we stopped on that trail after you saved me and the riflemen from the river, Sir Alex," Koroku shouted, answering for the women.

Isaac, knowing full well that Koroku may have been interrogated on that info and spilled too easily, roared, "Koroku! You idiot!" the injured man flinched, but not of the beast but of the insult hitting him dead on.

"Anyway, Alex," Toki called out to the young teen. "If you're gonna stop Lady Eboshi, tell her to come back to Iron Town. We've been trying to send out messages to reach her, but we've been completely cut off!"

"You don't have to ask, Toki," Alex smirked, earning a questioning gaze from Rukia. "I'll warn Eboshi and get her back here, even if I have to drag her back kicking and screaming!"

"Alex, you can't!" Rukia shouted in protest as she glared daggers as the teenaged boy. "You haven't forgotten what we're trying to do, have you? The gunwoman wants to kill Shisha-Gami! She's the enemy! The _Enemy_!"

There was a small pause from Alex and Isaac, as the only sounds were that of gunfire and swords clashing. Until Alex finally spoke up as he answered, "Well, we're trying to bring harmony between Man and Nature again, right?"

"Well, yes. But…"

"And Eboshi's basically the head of Iron Town. The leader of the Forest's enemy, right?"

"Of, course, but…"

"So wouldn't it be obvious that we let her live in order to promote a good understanding between the two warring sides?" Alex finished, crossing his arms as Rukia's head was spinning with questions.

Isaac chuckled at this as he smirked at Rukia, "Guess he got you on that one."

The Fire Spirit just sighed and slouched in defeat, "Okay… we'll save the Gun Woman, Eboshi. Though I think San'll hate you for wanting to spare her life…" but she angrily glared at Alex, "But we're not saving that Ghost Princess."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that," Alex drew back, "That girl's a complete psycho; we take her down on the spot."

"Young Sir!" Koroku shouted, getting Alex's attention. He held up one of the new rifles in his good arm as he shouted, "The road is crawling with Osano's men! You're gonna need one of these!"

"Aren't you at least gonna give him a bag of bullets to go with it?" Toki scolded.

"Uh…" Koroku was dumbfounded, as he smirked nervously, "Sorry, I left them back at our post."

"Ugh! You're hopeless!"

"It's alright!" Alex shouted, "Just toss me the rifle! I'll think of something!" and with that, and a clueless look from Koroku, he tossed the rifle to the young man. He caught it, and slung the strap over his shoulder as he hopped on Isaac's back. "We'll get there as fast as we can! Can you hold up?"

"Don't worry about it, Alex," Toki shouted as the girls got back to their posts and fired away, "We've got plenty of shots."

"Yeah, and if we run out, we'll always pour hot iron on them as a failsafe!" Komi shouted as she shot a few Samurai.

At that moment, a trap door was suddenly pushed open. "Excuse me, misses," A soft voice spoke up. From out of the trapdoor emerged the small bandaged head of one of Eboshi's lepers. "But don't think you're the only ones protecting our home!" He pulled himself out of the trapdoor and took a position between two other lepers, a loaded rifle tied to one bandaged arm.

He took aim and opened fire on a small group of samurai-laden boats that were slowly edging their way across the lake. The shot slammed hard against on boat's side, spilling it's samurai passengers into the cold murk of the lake. "Oh dear," he said with a giggle. "I think I missed." but then he looked down to Alex, Rukia, and Isaac, who both sweat dropped at the so-called 'miss'. he chuckled at their expressions, but warned them, "Just be careful! Those samurai thugs are everywhere! They're even bringing them across the river!"

A female leper named Lynn looked to Alex and his company, and shouted, "Please, hurry and bring back Lady Eboshi!"

"Don't worry," Alex shouted as he and Isaac strode off, and Rukia flew over them. We'll be back! That I promise!" and off they went as the siege of Iron Town continued.

Not far away, one of Osano's scouts spotted the trio, and immediately looked to the archer that was with him. "Send a message out! don't let those demons escape to warn Eboshi!" the archer nodded, and immediately shot a signal arrow, high in the air, warning any divisions nearby of the boy, the beast, and the fire demon heading towards the forests.

* * *

**A Little while Later**

* * *

As the trio made their way up the mountains, they were not even aware of the soldiers that were lagging behind them. Alex hated the idea of leaving Toki and other women behind like this. But at the same time he knew they didn't have much of a choice. With Eboshi and the men of Iron-Town off fighting Okoto's army of boars, the compound had been left virtually defenseless.

Defenseless and ripe for plucking.

Now all that stood between Osano's samurai and total victory were a few dozen women and lepers. Women and lepers armed with guns and a near endless supply of powder and shot, though they may be, both Alex and Toki new the full reality of the situation. If the people of Iron Town had any hope of weathering this storm that's been beset upon them, they needed Eboshi and her riflemen to do it.

Despite all that had transpired between them during those final ill-fated hours of their last encounter, the older woman's face could not mask her joy at the sight of Alex still moving among the living.

The pleasantries were short and in spite of what friction did exist between them, Toki had told him everything, from the arrival of the hunters and the strangely dressed warriors to the violent battle now being waged between Eboshi and the army of boars. And then she told him about the hunting party. The one Eboshi would soon be leading into the forest to claim the Forest-Spirit King's head.

The older woman was quick and to the point, wasting not a second on the trivial details for both she and Alex knew that time was no longer on their sides.

But if there was one thing that Alex knew for certain it was this. The moment those defenses fell, Toki, the lepers, and every other woman in Iron town would be as good as dead. The young outlander had no illusions as to the full gruesome extent of that particular outcome.

And if what Toki had told him was true, and Eboshi was already engaging Okoto's forces, then time had all but run out for him. Once the boars were wiped out, as Moro had said they would be, then all that would be standing between Eboshi and the Forest Spirit King's head was San.

That was one thing Alex just could not bring himself to fathom as the small band continued to make their way to the battlefield. But as his thoughts kept going, they saw that Rukia had landed right in front of them a great distance. As they caught up to her, Isaac stopped as Alex hopped off, and the three got a good glimpse of what Rukia pointed out. It was a tall rocky hill, slightly ablaze and smoking up horribly.

Alex cringed as his nostrils picked up the smell, as did Rukia she transformed back to her human form, "Ugh! This is the place," she answered as she tried desperately to cover her nose, "It smells of burning animal flesh."

"Oh man," Alex cringed as he looked away, "It's smells like rancid meat."

It was then after a second of silence, Isaac looked to Alex, knowing full well what was going on through the boy's head a while ago. "I know what you were thinking," Isaac chimed as he stood side his human ward.

"Trust me, Isaac," Alex spoke up, still holding his nose while trying not to barf. "You can't even begin to imagine what I'm thinking."

"Oh I think I can," the fox-squirrel returned. "You feel conflicted, ever since we left Iron Town. And none of what you're doing makes the slightest bit of sense to you."

Alex stopped suddenly, giving Isaac a raised eyebrow. "Alright, that's just creepy. What are you, a psychic?"

"So I'm right?"

"What difference does it make if you're right or not?" Alex shot back, getting Rukia into this conversation. "It doesn't change the fact that no matter what I do, I always end up feeling like a total duchebag."

"You're unsure of yourself. Of the choices you're making." Isaac replied.

"All I know is that San is probably out their just seconds away from being blown to pieces," Alex pointed out. "And I'm out here playing messenger-boy to the people who've been the cause of everything that's happened to me!"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with him, Isaaku," Rukia stated as she crossed her arms, "It seems insane to help the enemy."

"Are those poor women the cause of your pain, Alex?" Isaac asked, once again ignoring Rukia calling him by that name. "Is Toki the cause? What about her husband, the idiotic ox-driver? Or perhaps the poor lepers who toil day and night so that they might keep themselves from being thrown back into the streets like so much garbage? Are all these people the cause of your suffering?"

Alex scowled, chewing the inside of his cheek. He knew what the answer was; but with the present company, he just didn't know if they agreed.

"Well?' the giant fox-squirrel pressed on. "Are they?"

"I don't know, Isaac!" he finally answered. "Alright? I just don't know! A part of me wants to say, 'yes'. Another part wants to say, 'no'. And the rest just says, 'maybe'. All I know is that if given the choice, I would rather try to save lives then just sit back and let them die."

"Then that's all there is to it." Isaac answered. "If you want to save lives, if you want to help those around you, then there's no reason for you to go punishing yourself. The world isn't all black and white Alex. I would think that you of all people should know that it's mostly gray wherever you look."

"That's not all I was thinking about," Alex sighed, looking even more troubled now. "Do you think I'm betraying, San?"

"Alex. This isn't about…"

"Do you?"

Isaac shook his head "No, I don't. But in the end, all that really matters is what you think. What you believe."

Alex considered his small friend's words and sighed. "This savior thing's going to be a lot tougher than I thought it would be."

"As is the nature of most things in this world."

"That sounds like something you'd read off a Hallmark card." Suddenly, Alex's ear perked up a bit, as he heard a small whoosing sound. "Get down!" he shouted as he ran over to Rukia, and pushed her out of the way. In a split second, an arrow thudded right into Alex's left shoulder; the boy fell down the hill until he crashed to the flat ground, shouting for a moment in pain, as it was replaced with a groan.

Isaac and Rukia slid down to see if their human companion was still alive. They skidded to a halt as they reached him, with Rukia helping him up as he groaned; the arrow sticking out of the back of his shoulder and lightly flowing out blood. Rukia looked to the boy with much concern and fear for him. In all her life, most of the humans had tried to kill her, but this human… 'He risked himself to save my life…' she thought to herself in realization to him. "Alex, are you hurt?" Rukia asked, berating herself for asking such an obvious question.

"I'll… I'll be alright," Alex struggled as Rukia pulled out the arrow. "I'm just glad it missed a vital area." as the wound was opened and the young teen yelped in pain for a split second, a stream of newly spilt blood ran down the left side of his back. Afterwards, surprising Rukia, the armor melted over the hole and sealed it up, stopping the bleeding completely.

Another three arrows soon followed, each coming dangerously close to hitting their mark on the trio. As Alex and Rukia leapt to avoid being struck, the two caught the faint glint of armor among the rocks. They threw themselves into the tall grass, pressing themselves flat to the ground, the boy's shoulder aching with annoying pain despite the wound being closed up.

The two hidden archers, from the safety of their boulder, replaced their arrows, took aim and fired another volley. Their hands moved with near-inhuman speed and accuracy, loading one arrow after another, firing the next before the first could reach its target.

As Alex stared into the wave of arrows falling towards them, their seeking tips starved for their blood, he felt his entire body ignite as the orange gem glowed brightly, trying to summon the full armor out. The demon within him stirred its evil fluctuating with raw gluttonous power as the gem's glow became more persistent every time it glowed. The youth narrowed his eyes, bringing his power into focus, training it to suppress the power before it went beyond his control and took him over as a human meat puppet.

"Alex, stop!" Isaac cried out as he transformed back to his normal size. "The demon's growing too strong for you!" He leapt around Alex, yipping and shouting, desperate to bring the boy under control.

But the words never reached him.

Alex stood up from the grass and ran forward, and suddenly stopped in the plain area. He gritted as he shouted through his teeth, and then slammed his right fist hard into the ground. A great fissure opened along the ground, and the boulder the archers were perched upon suddenly split in two. The archers could only cry out, their screams barely addible as their boulder shattered beneath their feet, swallowing them both in an avalanche of falling rocks.

When it was finally over, Alex stood there, and spotted the group of horse-riding samurai heading right for them.

"Alex," Isaac said softly as he reached the boy, starring up into the youth's glazed eyes. "Don't forget who you are… don't let the darkness consume you." He took a step closer, as he shouted out to Alex. "Remember who you are, Alexander Killian."

A piercing shriek suddenly split air, snapping Alex out of his trance. He blinked his eyes into focus, his mind once more his own.

"Wha…?" he sputtered, the muscles in his mouth feeling like rubber. "What's happening?"

"Over there!" someone shouted. "Down on that ridge!

Upon hearing the shout, Alex, Rukia, and Isaac looked to the distance were they soon spotted a small party of armored horsemen riding towards them, bows, spears and swords held at the ready.

"Any ideas?" the small fox-squirrel asked, as Rukia stood by their side again.

"Yeah, I got a few," Alex replied. "We beat the living tar out of them!" He scooped Isaac off the ground, holding him tightly under his arm and the trio bolted up the hill. "But first we need to gain some distance!" The bite of his arrow wound gnawed at his shoulder every time his arm moved as they ran.

As he cleared the hill, Isaacs's ear gave a twitch as another arrow suddenly grazed past his head, the sharpened tip just nicking him. When he looked back he saw that the horsemen were quickly gaining on them.

"They have horses, Alex," Isaac said, squeezing himself out from the youth's crooked arm. He then scurried on to his left shoulder as he kept looking back. "Even when you've only tapped 30 percent of your power, you'll never outrun them."

"No," The youth said through his teeth. "But I can sure as hell try can't I? Besides, like I said, we're not gonna run from them forever!" He clutched his shoulder, the blood sticky against his fingers. Suppressing a cry, he pushed onward, running across the clearing with Isaac on his shoulder, and Rukia keeping pace by his side. His every muscle bristled with fatigue, the ground rushing like a river of green beneath his feet while the sharp rumbling of hooves rose behind him.

But Alex skidded to a halt, even as Rukia stopped as well, as the boy turned around. As the first horsemen charged right at him, Alex pulled out his machete sized blade at the ready as the first warrior came within the boy's sights.

"Alright, you persistent jerk-offs!" He cried out , "Up until now, I've pretty much sat back and let you do whatever you wanted! Not anymore!"

As soon as the rider got close to him in order to slash at him, he brought the sword right down on the boy. However, Alex brought his left arm up just in time to have the sword shatter on the armor. And before the rider could gain distance, Alex spun around and lashed his arm outward, slashing the man's arm off as he past him. The samurai gained some distance as he fell flat on his back to the ground, his horse riding away.

The other samurai that rode in fired another arrow at Alex, but he caught it, without the point striking his flesh. Rukia stopped at his side, as the samurai was heading in for a turn, until she formed a fire ball into her hands. And with a pretty good pitching arm, she threw it right at him. The samurai was set ablaze, as he fell off the horse, screaming in mortal pain until he died.

The two then looked and notice more samurai heading right towards them. This time, Alex was at the ready as he stepped forward for a moment, and glared at the samurai.

"But now things are gonna be different!" Alex suddenly stood his ground and went rigid, focusing his power to its limit, fighting the intense pain the armor caused when the gem glowed intensely. 'From here on in, I'm the one who's gonna be calling the shots, ME!' he shouted within his head, as a few orange streaks appeared in his hair. 'You have a problem with that, then get out of my body and find someone else to consume!'

And all at once, he let the power surge from his armor and flesh, releasing it all in one final, terrifying show of unstoppable force as that terrible force started to build in his arms, the rest of the soldiers ran towards them on their horses. And as this storm of corrupted power was reaching its limit in only two areas of the young teen's body, Alex spread his arms apart, and with a mighty clap, unleashed that power by creating a massive shock wave. The blast wave nearly blew the grass off the ground, and the rocks into the air, as it struck the samurai, shattering their armor and pushing them back yelling as they and their horses crashed down to the ground.

And when the storm passed, not a single conscious man remained.

Falling to his knees, Alex clutched his head, unable to suppress the waves of nausea that were rising within him. The hammering pain within his skull unbearable, and the throbbing of the wrist chain it was causing him more than anything he had ever experienced. His every muscle burned with an uncontrollable fire, voracious as the black ooze film began to nearly spread on the rest of his body with a life of its own, attempting to awaken the rest of the curse and take over the boy.

'No you don't! This is my body,' He said to himself, digging his fingers into the dirt, wishing the world would stop spinning. 'This my flesh, my bone, my blood…my soul… They're mine! Mine! You understand me ! They're mine! And no one's gonna take that away from me!'

He suddenly clutched his stomach and fell forward, puking into the grass. Rukia ran over to him, "Alex? Alex, are you okay?" she slowly reached to touch his shoulder, only to retract it back as it rippled, causing her to startle a bit. She knew then and there that the curse was getting worse for him… even now. He right hand instinctively transformed into the golden ring with flaming clawed fingers. Her face became paler as she flexed them, not sure of what to do as she looked at Alex with her dark brown eyes. 'He's losing control… I know what I must do…' but then, she remembered that he had selflessly shoved her out of the way when that arrow was aimed for her. 'But… he did save my life…' the realization of that subject, in which no human dared go near her, echoed into her mind as she clenched her fist and her eyes tightly, '… I don't know what to do. Oto-Hime… please guide me…'

As the nausea took him, Alex gave one painful heave after another, purging every last bit of his stomach's contents. When the wrenching in his stomach passed, he took a deep breath, calming his nerves, forcing his curse , namely the black ooze and armor, back into dormancy in the wrist chain before it's power grew beyond his control, leaving only the armored arms, chest, and his right eye, still in their state, along with the orange streaks in his hair.

An armored foot suddenly caught him in the side, knocking the wind from Alex's lungs. And before Rukia could run over to help him, a staff was brought around her neck; the force behind her nearly choking her. Before either knew it, the girl was pulled up, nearly being choked by a spearman. And the boy was on his back, the same armored foot pressed firmly upon his chest, and the sharp tip of a sword just inches from his throat. When he looked up he found himself staring into the cold slitted eyes of a Samurai captain.

"This is the one we were warned about by Lord Takemaru," the captain called to his companion from behind his mask. "I thought he was mad when I heard the stories. But now that I've seen it with my own two eyes…" He pressed the blade against Alex's throat, the tip drawing a trickle of blood as it pierced the skin. "I see there truly are demons in this world."

"Then, let's take his head and be done with it. If we bring back his head, we'll be famous," The other samurai replied, wiping the blood from his spear. "Unless you think we should stick him a few times. to make sure we do the job right."

Alex swallowed feeling the sweat rolling down his face. "I got a few ideas were you can stick it," he said, the muscles in his neck tightening around the cold steel now threatening to cut the life from him.

"You shut your mouth!" The captain shot back, and quickly delivered a vicious kick to the young outlander's chin. The boy reeled under the assault, the kick knocking him senseless as he spat out a little blood.

As the captain slowly raised his sword, holding the blade above his head, ready to deliver the final blow, Alex's wandering fingers brushed against the broken shaft of a spent arrow.

"May the gods show you mercy, Demon."

"That's half-demon!" Alex retorted.

And just as soon those words were spoken, the captain himself was soon stepping back with an arrow stuck between the plates of his shin-guard. He cried out through clenched teeth, his face a near perfect imitation of the mask that hid it. And while the cold, horrid sensations of the severed tendons quickly spread through the nerves in his leg, the captain desperately fumbled about in his armor trying to free himself of the offending projectile.

This caused a good distraction, as Rukia had brought out her second pair of arms. She used them to grab both the staff holding her neck, and the samurai holding her. And suddenly, she sent both of them ablaze; the samurai letting go as he howled and screamed in mortal pain. As that happened, Rukia delivered a powerful rocket kick, that sent the samurai flying away from them, crashing to the ground in ash.

Alex, having regained his senses, spun on the ground, sweep-kicking under the captain's feet, sending him crashing to his back. Then Alex brought his right heel directly down on the Captain's unprotected chest, knocking the wind right out of him, as Alex spun himself back up on to his feet.

"Captain!" The other Samurai shouted, raising his spear. But before he could move to his companion's aid and kill the two 'demon' teenagers, he was suddenly knocked off his feet by a monster-sized Isaac, who rammed himself at the man's body like a missile of furry muscle, fury, and teeth. The man cried out, dropping his spear, and fought to dislodge the raging giant muscled fox-squirrel beast as it proceeded to bite and claw his exposed face and body.

And when it was over, Alex steadied his breathing, forcing the curse back into submission. A man's scream suddenly brought him back to his senses, he and Rukia took notice of Isaac's part in the battle.

Isaac wasted no time in dispatching the struggling samurai. With one well-placed bite, the Fox-Squirrel dug his fangs into the soft flesh of the samurai's chest, ripping it open. Blood frothed from the man's open wounds, seeping through his fingers as they groped and pressed into the ragged wound, desperately seeking a means to stop the bleeding or his organs from falling out. He gave one final gurgle before the last drops of life spilled down his mouth, crumpling upon the broken earth before finally drowning in his own blood.

Catching his breath, Alex looked to the corpses and the unconscious captain that now surrounded them, disturbed by how little the bloodshed seemed to effect him. He finally caught sight of Isaac, standing amidst the mutilated and burnt bodies, his furry maw now discolored the blood of his fallen adversary.

Steadying his shaking legs and feet, Alex slowly stepped over to where the fox-squirrel stood, their inhuman eyes not once leaving each other, eye-to-eye. "Lets go," he finally said, smiling to both of them, knowing full well that they were fortunate to survive. The three then set off for the besieged battle to where Eboshi and her men were.

* * *

**A Little While Later**

* * *

The three had made some good distance to their destination as they were closing in on their target. However, it didn't make things easier with Alex giving them pep talks. "Keep running!" Alex wheezed, his lungs feeling like they were about to burst. "Just keep running! Don't slow!"

"Are you telling this to me?" Rukia asked, "Or to yourself?"

"Both! Now shut up and run!" Alex's jaw tightened, and with a burst of adrenaline, he quickened his pace, tearing across the field in a last ditch effort to replace the lost distance between him and the two spirits.

"He seems to be pushing himself a bit harder than normal," Rukia observed as the now normal-sized Isaac ran at her side, "Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine… for now," Isaac assured the fire girl. "Though those times back in the field. It's a definite possibility that his curse is close to fully awaken."

They had not cleared half the field's length before Alex saw the first sign of smoke rising just beyond the next hill.

"Alex!", Rukia shouted as she saw it too.

"I see it," The young outlander replied, the rolling lump of black smoke growing like a tumor in the sky as they drew near. "That's were we'll find them. Eboshi and the rest of those nimrods."

As they cleared the third hill, Alex forced himself to an abrupt halt, flailing his arms to keep himself from falling into the ravine that stretched out before him. The ravine was wide and steep, as though it had been cut away by some great ax. As the young teen boy backed away from the precipice, he lifted his gaze from the shadowy gullet that had nearly devoured him.

What the trio found starring back at them was a sea of death.

Beyond the ravine lay a second clearing, gray and barren, stripped bare of the lush green of grass and trees, like a skinned animal left to rot. Fire riddled the landscape while billowing walls of ash choked the very air. But what held both Alex and Rukia's attention were the many piles of dead boars. There were so many of them, so many that it was impossible for either one of them to count them all. The once great army of beasts that Okoto had led, now lay chard and blacked by fire, their powerful bodies broken and mutilated by whatever horrific device had cut them down.

And as Alex stopped for a moment and brought a hand to his face, his demonic black and yellow eye watering at the stench of burning animal flesh, a horrible realization struck him, and a single word squeezed passed his trembling mouth.

"San…"He could almost picture the young wolf girl's small perfect form, crushed and broken beneath the smoldering remains of some fallen boar, her proud warrior face starring lifelessly into the blackened sky while the fire slowly consumed her.

It was only then that the trio, especially Alex, realized that the land was in fact the darkened shade of blood.

Rukia looked to Alex, seeing the human's distress in this. And for the first time noticed, she looked saddened at the boy's despair as well. She walked over to him as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to ease him at this. "It's horrible, isn't it."

"It's not that," Alex answered as he looked at the river of death before him. "It just gets to me on how stupid this is. All this death over the head of one Spirit King?"

"It's that simple to some humans who don't see it as you do," Isaac answered, standing by the teen outlander's side. He looked up to Alex as he stated, "If one obtained a Spirit King's power… they would be on the same level as a High Spirit King, or a High God Guardian, like Moro or Okoto." he then asked, "Do you have any idea how much one would do just to gain that kind of power?"

Alex looked horrified on such a concept, especially if someone like Yashahime or Takemaru would gain if they did such. He then looked to the little fox-squirrel as he asked to be sure, "You mean… worth all this?"

"Yes… to someone."

The trio continued with their hunt for Eboshi, until they made their way over to the next hill. There, they found another sea of death. But instead of boars, there were fallen humans that had been gathered and placed together. Straw blankets covered their forms, but became soaked with blood. The trio frowned at this secondary sight of death from this war's greed and brutality that guided such killings.

Rukia muttered to herself, as her face scrunched into a frown, "So not even the humans are immune to this massacre."

Alex nodded, "Nobody's immune to war." he looked at the bodies with such despair, hoping that San wasn't among them. However, he spotted someone still alive there.

There was a man, sitting in the corner, curled up in the fetal position with his head down. Alex walked down there, with Isaac hoping onto the boy's shoulder as they made their way towards him. Rukia, although a little hesitant, followed after the two. When they reached the man, he didn't notice them at all, almost as if he was asleep or dead to the world at this moment.

Alex knelt down, about to see if the man was alright, until they heard a demanding voice shout out, "HALT! WHO GOES THERE?" the trio immediately looked up on the other side, and saw someone standing on the hill. From Alex's perspective, it was a Shinto Priest, holding an umbrella, and saw another one accompanying him. The man then narrowed his eyes at the boy, not liking the looks of him and his companions as he bellowed, "Who are you? What is your business here?"

Alex stood up, and stood defiantly strong at this man as he answered, "We were sent here from Iron Town. We have a message to give to Lady Eboshi."

The Shinto priest's eyes nearly went wide with shock at this unfortunate event. If the boy had come from Iron to warn Eboshi of the invasion that had been set up by their 'other master'. so the priest regained his grumpy composure and lied to eh boy, "The Eboshi woman's not here, and can' be disturbed," he then narrowed his eyes at the boy, "Give me the message, boy, and I'll be sure to give it to her."

Alex knew this guy was lying, and scowled, "I have to give it to her in person. So where is she?"

"Just give me the message, boy!" the Priest nearly shouted, his patience wore thin at this time. "You've done your job at getting this far with the message. Just head back to Iron Town; just give me the message!"

"Hey!" Alex shouted, his temper getting the best of him, but he didn't allow the cursed parasite within him to feed off of it. "I am nobody's messenger boy," Alex snarled as he pointed out, "I'm a delivery boy. And I'm gonna deliver Eboshi back to Iron Town!"

"How dare you!" The Priest shouted, acting as if he was about to gut the boy. "What gives you the right to shout at us, boy?"

"Because he seems more of a man than you do," Rukia shot back, stepping to Alex's side to defend him. "Just tell us where the Gun-Woman is, and save us the trouble of beating it out of you, alright?"

Before the priest could shoot back more demands/insults at the girl, two familiar faces popped up from behind. Alex immediate recognized the first as he smirked, "Shizu! You're alright!"

The man, Shizu, was surprisedas ever to see the young outlander, "It's you? Is it really you, lad?" Alex nodded, as Shizu and his buddies pushed past the Shinto priests and ran straight towards the teens and fox-squirrel. "When you left the town, lad, we all thought you were dead. Looks like the Forest Gods showed you mercy when you saved their Princess."

"Yeah, I guess they did," Alex nervously chuckled, not sure as to how to break the real story to them. "Though I'm actually relieved to see you guys," the teen outlander smirked in reassurance, "You look like you've had a worse time than we've been having."

"It hasn't been easy, lad," Shizu stated in an exhausted tone, and yet sad tone, "We've been burying our friends all day."

"It was horrible, just horrible," Ushu, the other fellow that had always accompanied Shizu.

"You have to hurry to your Iron Town," Rukia interrupted, earning the confused stares from the men. "It's under attack."

"Wha?"

"She's right," Alex defended. "There's a whole invasion of Samurai on the verge of tearing the walls down. The women and lepers fell back towards the Inner Wall of the city," Alex explained to them, giving complete detail of the sutiation, "I don't know how much time they have, but they're holding back long enough for you and Eboshi to get back to drive them back."

"Those samurai bastards," Shizu cursed to himself, as he looked down with anger at such horrible news.

Ushu looked to the others as he explained, "Those greedy monsters must've been waiting for us just to slip up, and just leave Iron Town."

Though he and the others didn't know it, Isaac hopped off the outlander's shoulder, and began to sniff around after his face went wide with surprise. He sniffed the ground, ignoring the smell and stench of blood, gunpowder, and rotting flesh, and scurried up the hill, past the Shinto priests, as well as the other surviving Iron Town men that had popped up after hearing Shizu shout out.

Alex nodded, and looked serious as ever. "We've gotta find Eboshi and the riflemen. They're the only ones that can drive Osano's forces back."

"So just give up the hunt for Shisha-Gami," Rukia mentioned. "Right now your home's in danger; that's more important than a futile hunting trip."

"Who is this lass, lad?" Shizu asked, the other men curious as well.

"This is Rukia, a Fire Spirit," Alex answered, earning a few surprised looks from the men. "But that's not important," Alex interrupted all the murmurs and stares at Rukia. "We need to get Eboshi and convince her to go back. Iron Town's at stake here."

"I'm sorry, you two," Shizu replied. "But she and the others went off into the forest to hunt down Shisha-Gami."

After hearing that, both Alex and Rukia looked in complete shock at this tidbit of news. Even through their attempt to save Iron Town, they had forgotten their true reason of coming all this way out here. Eboshi had taken the opportune moment to go after Shisha-Gami, even at the expense of her men's lives. Alex looked to Rukia, and saw a look of shocked horror as she covered her mouth to attempt a gasp from escaping her lips. Alex looked to Shizu and the men as he commanded, "We've got to stop her, before it's too late!"

"But it's impossible. You'd get lost in there with no way of finding them."

"Then we better move it then," Alex nearly shouted hysterically.

"If you're all done…" the Shinto Priest said, getting everyone's attention, as he pointed at the two teens, "… I want you all gone! The rest of you… KEEP DIGGING!"

Then suddenly, all the men that had come to the arguing, had gathered around the Shinto priests. A riot soon began as the men argued and argued. They were all yelling about Iron Town; that their home was in danger. Though the priests kept on insisting that the forest was too vast and dark. If any chance, no messenger would even have the chance to locate them in time. But Shizu and the others just kept arguing to send out the hunters, but the priests wouldn't listen to reason.

The elder gentlemen groaned at this as the realization of this hunt hit them all, "Lady Eboshi was just being used by Yashahime to get the Forest Spirit," the kids turned their attention to him as he huffed, "What do they expect us to do, abandon Iron Town?"

"Why don't you?" Rukia asked. "If it's so bad being attacked by this Osano, then why not just abandon Iron Town? Start over, and build a better town?"

Alex looked at Rukia with a look of seriousness and pity, not just at her, but at the men who argued with the priests. "Rukia, you might not be able to understand this…" Alex stated as the moment of silence was broken, "But… well… Iron Town's not just their home, but it's also their coffin." he then looked to the elderly man as he asked, "Tell us, when you saw the boars attacking, did you see the Wolf Clan fighting with them? Was San… I mean, the Princess Mononoke leading the charge or at least along with them?"

The elderly man looked to the outlander in a confused way, but he answered, "I'm sorry, lad. I'm not sure," the boy's face looked disappointed and hopeless at this as he continued, "It was pretty much pitch black when the battle was getting worse, and the animals came straight at us."

"She was there; I saw her." the three were a little startled as to who had spoken up. It was the same hunched over individual, but this time his face was shown as he looked straight forward, with his knees pulled up to him. He shook like crazy with fear, and his eyes were widened with terror as he remembered what had happened on the battlefield. "I would know, I was in the frontline; I saw everything. Oh god, all those deaths… those demons… they were more vicious than the wolves and the boars put together. They didn't care who or what they were attacking, man or beast, it was a bloodbath; nearly all sides were slaughtered by those creatures…"

Alex nearly paled at this as he knelt down next to the man. "Where? What happened? What happened to the Wolves?" his eyes went wide with fear, as it looked like the blood in his veins just froze up as he finally asked, "What happened to the wolf girl?"

"I don't remember!" the man yelled frantically as he returned curled up in his fetal position, sobbing, "Everything happened so fast, I don't know what went on. It was like a nightmare…."

Alex shrunk back, seeing that he had opened wounds that shouldn't have been opened at all. He pulled away, hanging his head in shame at this. Rukia saw this and placed a gentle hand to his shoulder. She didn't realize it as of yet, but now… she was beginning to show at least what others saw as compassion to a creature that she had hated most of her life. She looked to the elder human as she asked, "What happened on the battlefield, that would make this man so fearful?"

"It would have to be the demons Yashahime deployed in battle. She called them her 'Hell Hounds'." The elder then explained to them, grimacing with every detail, "She convinced Jigo and Lady Eboshi to have us in the front as the boars charged forward. They didn't bother to tell us about the mines under the ground, or the grenades that they threw from above us. But those weren't the worst of it; the Hell Hounds were unleashed as soon as most of the burnt bodies of the boars and our friends gave off the smell that sent them upon us. Afterwards, the demons attacked anything that bled, leaving those that were watching the fight alone. They killed nearly everyone on the battlefield, and ate their remains."

"So in other words…" Alex started as he stood up, and looked at the elderly man, with a fierce anger in them, "… that you were used as the bait… and that Eboshi knew about it?" the man nodded at this and the young teen looked away.

His face scrunched with anger as he thought about how both the humans and boars were blown up; killing each other as they fought, only to end up being blown from either above or below. And what made things worse… that damn ghost princess, Yashahime, had to make things worse by bringing in demons. It was just like that time in the forest when his curse reached to about 90 percent of 'awakening', as he called it, and those things were beyond vicious. 'Eboshi… what's going on in your head?' Alex screamed mentally, 'Why the hell did you bring in someone like that in the battle? Don't the people of Iron Town mean anything to you? don't you care?' his angered face calmed down and changed into one of worry and depression, 'San… please be alive…'

"Alex! Rukia!" the two teens looked up at the hill, as did the old man and the scared soldier.

They saw the little fuzz ball fox-squirrel spirit standing on the hill that he had disappeared from. He hopped up and down, getting Alex's attention as he and Rukia ran up to meet him. As soon as they got there, the teenaged boy looked down to his fuzzy companion and asked, "What is it, Isaac?"

The Fox-Squirrel Spirit pointed directly at a bunch of giant boar bodies piled up on each other. The two didn't know what to make of it, until they saw something stirring from under the bodies. Pulling his head out finally, Tsume wriggled and wrenched an attempt to free himself, as his head was the only thing sticking out at the moment. Rukia immediately lit up by this as she ran down there, "Lord Tsume!"

Alex and Isaac followed suit, and the three stopped as they reached the trapped Wolf God Guardian. Tsume looked at the human boy, and snarled, "You again? You're the last creature I wanted to see me in this state!"

"Yeah, I love you too, Cujo," Alex sighed, not wanting to argue. "Tsume, listen. Where's San?"

"Why do you care?" the Wolf God spat at the boy, the foam around his lips lessening. "You practically left her, thinking only about yourself and doing nothing. And now you come seeking her out?"

"Look! I was wrong before," Alex sighed and looked to the wolf defeated. "Back then, I didn't think I had anything to do with this fight," and then he looked to the Wolf a fiery determination, almost as burning as the Wolf Princess's, "But things are different now. Now are you gonna tell me if San's alive or not?"

The second born Wolf of Moro looked at the boy, and for an instant, saw San's fiery spirit in the lad's visage. Tsume smirked a little as he joked, "So you finally grew some balls, eh Human?" seeing the boy's face scrunch in annoyance at being called human again, the wolf answered, "San's alive. She and Kiba are taking Okoto to where mother is meeting them. At Shisha-Gami's pool."

Alex, Rukia, and Isaac nearly went wide eyed with shock at this, and they looked to one another and nodded. Rukia got on one end, and Alex got on the other end of the boar carcass that trapped Tsume. "Hang on," Alex said as he put both his hands on the boar's skull and began to push upward, "We're gonna get you out of there." and both the outlander and the Fire Spirit girl used their strength to try and desperately push the boar's body off. However, because of their tussle against the samurai chasing them, they were still trying to recover as much strength as possible.

As they struggled so, the elder man that had talked to them, had followed after them. He had wondered what had caused such distress to the kids. And when he reached the edge of the cliff, he spotted them, as well as a trapped wolf. He paled as he shot back, shouting, "Young Master! What are you doing down there?" he looked back to the others, shouting, "Over here! There's a wolf still alive over here!"

"Well, this'll make things easier," Isaac retorted sarcastically, and sweat dropped, "Great, now I'm starting to sound more like Alex. That boy's rubbing off on me."

This caused the others, Shizu and the other men, as well as the two Shinto priests to run up there. As soon as they did, the men were in shock, either backing away or holding their shovels and digging tools in defense. The gruff Shinto priest, looked to the boy and shouted demandingly, "What do you and your demon friend think you're doing, boy?"

Both Rukia and Alex were nearly halfway finished, as Tsume was almost free of the boar's carcass. Even though they were currently at half their strength, it was enough considering the two were working together. Alex, while straining himself to keep from going farther with his demonic powers, looked to the priest, "We've gotta find Eboshi as fast as we can! Tsume here can help us! He's gonna lead us straight to Princess Mononoke… and wherever she is, Eboshi's sure to find us!"

The priest's eye was twitching in distress now; the boy and demon girl were ruining everything their master had planned. So in a desperate attempt, he pulled off the top of the umbrella, as did his companion, and shouted, "I knew it! You're on their side… Aren't you?" and then they both held up the poles like blow dart guns, "Well, we'll kill you before you have the chance to sick that wolf on us!"

"You idiots! Alex didn't betray you; he's trying to help!" Rukia had enough of this distrust that the humans had for each other. "Just what's more important: King Shisha-Gami's head or your home?"

However, the answer she got was a dart nearly hitting her in the neck. "You douche bags! What are you…?" Alex shouted, right before a dart nearly struck at him as well. "Hey, watch where you're shooting those!"

The men paled at this as Ushu pointed out, "What are you doing? Those dart's are poisonous; you'll kill them!"

"Exactly," the Shinto priest asnwerd as he and his companion fired once more, missing their target. However, the shots had cuased the two to lose their balance and have the boar's body nearly crush them as they sunk due to the heavy weight the boar was giving them.

The priests saw this as their chance as they readied another shot, despite the men's shouting. However, before the head priest could fire, Shizu ran up behind him, and decked him in the back of the head with his shovel. The priest slumped the ground unconscious; the other priest was beaten to a pulp by a mob of the men.

"C'mon, men! They need our help!" Shizu called out as he ran towards the kids. The others followed suit as they raced down to help them. Shizu ran over to Alex's end with a few others, while Ushu and the elder ran over to Rukia's side. "Alright, everyone! Let's get this thing off of him," Shizu instructed as they got themselves into position. "All together now! HEAVE!"

With the added strength of their arrival, the two teens and the men pushed with all their might to heave the dead boar's body off of the second wolf son. They heaved with every breath, pushing the boar's body up a little every time. Their collective strength and effort had made it easy, as Tsume was able to wiggle out a little more. Until finally, he pulled himself free of his corpse prison and was up and about. The iron town villagers stepped back a little, but they didn't attempt to attack whatsoever, as Tsume looked around at them all.

Alex and the others dropped the boar's body as it thudded to the ground. They sat, breathing and sweating heavily as they did so; they had used all their strength, nearly breaking their legs in lifting such a heavy beast. Alex slumped as he sighed, "That's weird… I thought… I thought I had more strength than that… from the curse…?"

"My guess is you're using it a bit much," Isaac chirped as he hopped into the boy's lap. "Or maybe holding it back so much, that you're exhausting yourself."

"Good to know I'm still affected by fatigue," Alex smirked.

he smirked at the future teenager, "Or… perhaps your body is just getting used to the curse as it's gradually staying in control."

Alex groaned, "Please don't say that… I'm glad I have this curse to give me a boost once in a while, but I don't want to keep it fore…" the boy stopped as he heard a low growl right in front of him. He looked in front and paled as Tsume was growling and snarling six inches in front of his face. The men, Shizu, Rukia, and even Isaac looked at this turn of events. And just when Alex thought that his face was about to be crunched off, as were Tsume's threats to him were constantly shoved right ot his face…. Tsume licked his face for only a moment.

"Consider us even… boy," Tsume replied as he stepped away.

The humans sighed in relief as they all got up, as Alex looked to everyone and told them directly what to do next. At the moment, Rukia was currently giving the men instructions on the fastest and safest route back to Iron Town. "As soon as you've come through the swamp, take cover by the lake until your lady arrives," Rukia finished. "Just be carful. Last time we checked, they were coming from around the river, so take extra caution."

"And be sure you don't dawdle," Isaac chuckled as he scurried towards the forest gradually, "Which means, don't stop for a swim, alright?"

"Well, you're gonna make sure of that, Isaac," Alex replied as he took off his supply sack. "You're going with them." this earned a surprised look from both Rukia and Isaac, as the little fuzz ball hung his head in exasperation, as the teen continued, "Just guard them in case any samurai or demons come their way."

"You're going on alone?" Rukia asked, seemingly worried now. "You'll need Isaaku to help you control your…"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Isaac shouted, going hysterical from being called Isaaku again.

Alex just smirked at Rukia as he answered, "Don't worry about it. I'll just make sure I do the little stuff."

"Be careful, Lad," Shizu answered as he and the men got ready for the journey ahead of them. "The hunters that are with them all belong to a monk named Jigo."

"Jigo, eh?" the young teen scratched his chin as he thought about that, 'That name sounds pretty familiar….' he shrugged on it, as he slunked Shizu his supply sack, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out. In the meantime, hold on to that for me. Where we're going, smoked meat and survival supplies arent gonna be much use for us."

"Alex, wait!" Isaac shouted as he transformed into his ubber self. He then nudged himself on the teen boy's side as he objected to this idea and tried to convince him to come along with them. "I don't like leaving you all by your lonesome," the fox-squirrel pouted. "Who's gonna feed me smoked meat?"

"Isaac…" the young teen boy scolded as he turned the Fox-Squirrel's attention to Shizu and the other men. "They need you a lot more than I do right now," Alex informed his furry companion, as he looked to him with a serious look in his eyes.

Isaac looked to Alex, and smirked at seeing the way the boy was acting. The boy was no longer being a bystander, or a mere teenager at this point… he was becoming a leader, and a warrior, just like Otohime had told him the boy would be. Isaac was starting to make his way to the Iron Town men, but stopped as he turned around, and advised Alex one more time before they went their separate ways, "Let me tell you something Alex…" as soon as they were ear proximity, the fox-squirrel finished, "… your will… it can't control the curse alone…" and turned around once again, leaving Alex slightly confused, and then turned around as he smirked, "…but… maybe… your heart can."

Alex seemed confused by that comment, but shook it off. He looked to Rukia and Tsume as he shouted, "C'mon! let's go!" Afterwards, he ran straight towards the forest, with Tsume running beside them, and Rukia, transformed and flew after them. Alex looked to the white wolf, "We've gotta find San! We find her, we find Eboshi!" The Trio disappeared in the green and darkened forest, not even knowing of the dangers and fight that awaited them now.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Becoming a Demon; A God, Demons, and a Spirit King**


	23. Becoming a Demon Full Circle

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Becoming a Demon; A God, A Demons, and a Spirit King**

* * *

**Deep Within the Forest**

* * *

The forest lay quiet and darkness swept over the green and brown inner sanction. The beasts had all but disappeared as did the birds; they were either killed by the humans, or took the initiative and ran out of there. Now the forest was quiet more than ever, but that ceased to be as footsteps were made, sweeping the path of rocks, vines and giant roots that stuck out of the ground. Following a pathway through the bushes and thick forest were Eboshi's riflemen as well as Jigo's. Eboshi, Jigo, Yashahime, and even Gonza stood by as they made sure the army kept moving towards their destination: the Pool of the Forest Spirit King, Shisha-Gami.

Following from the rear were four of Eboshi's men, carrying with them a stretcher of sorts. But the cargo being carried on by that bamboo and grass stretcher was an iron cylinder chamber of sorts, big enough to fit some kind of head sized object. The usage or contents of such a thing was unclear, but it was well-guarded and kept an eye on, almost as if they didn't want to lose sight of it. Whatever would be carried in that object, it was cared and guarded with great importance behind it, in order to be sure it didn't break or be lost.

Following behind them, two figures in cloaks were following suit after the cylinder casing. One appeared to be the size of a thirteen year old girl, thin but very cute as her face showed. However, her face seemed to convey a striking seriousness that resembled that of an adult rather than a child. Her skin was dark tanned, her hair was silver but with a tint of violet in it, long but tied in a pineapple leaf ponytail, with loose bangs in the front going down to her chin. But the odd thing about her was the black eye patch on her left eye, with the white kanji reading 'Death', and her right eye being the unnatural color of blood red.

Her companion, appeared to be a lanky in appearance, but athletically built male. Sticking out of the cloak's back were two black katannas, and two rifles of European design. The figure's face was hidden in a black mask, neither baggy or skin tight, with a big eyed jawless skull to where the face should be. The figure looked to the young girl as they walked up to Eboshi and the other as he smirked, "Hey, Saika…" the girl turned her attention to the man, as he pulled out two European Uzis that looked like they came out of WWII, "What say after we bag the head and head back to Iron Town… we kill all those lepers, eh?"

The girl Saika, looked to the man in disgust as she groaned, "Do you _ever_ shut up, Sechs?"

"What?" the man asked as he holstered his guns, "I don't like lepers. They creep me out." he made a gun-figure with his fingers as he teased, "Here, leper, leper, leper….BANG! Eheheh."

As they walked past Eboshi, she turned to look at Yashahime as she asked, "Friends of yours?"

"Two of my best fighters/trackers, Saika and Sechs," Yashahime answered, smiling her innocent yet evil smirk. "Saika's in possession of extreme power at her age, and is fiercely loyal to me without a fault. What she lacks in skill and experience… she makes up for in vicious nature and madness. And Sechs… well, let's just say he's a Tolkmekkian Soldier who's seen more of his fair share of battles. It's because he's fought in so many of them and survived, save for one, that he's become an unstable soldier for hire."

"Oh, great. That's really comforting to know about 'em," Jigo groaned sarcastically, but encouraged his men, "C'mon, fellahs. The sooner we're done, the better and faster we leave this place." just then, out of the bushes, popped out one of Jigo's hunters. He stopped and looked to the four leaders, as Jigo noticed him and smirked, "Oh great, you're here. Have you spotted the Wolf Princess and that ol' Blind Boar, yet?"

The hunter nodded, "It seems that they escaped the battle, but Okoto wasn't the lucky one. He's badly wounded, so he's slowing them down a bit. But he and the wolf girl are heading towards the realm of Shisha-Gami."

"So… they're gonna go and beg him for his help, eh?" Jigo smirked as he stroked his stubble chin, "This makes it easier for our hunters."

Yashahime covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle, "So even wolves cower in fear of demons?" she then looked to the hunter as she ordered, "Follow them, but keep out of sight. And be sure to use the Hell Hounds."

"You think that's wise?" Eboshi asked, as she looked to the Ghost Princess. "I still haven't forgotten how those things ate up not only the boars… but my men as well."

"Don't worry," Yashahime ensured the smirking Gun Woman. "Things are going to be completely different this time." She then looked back at the Hunter, "Go. Keep after them." the hunter nodded as he once again disappeared into the forest.

Eboshi, after a moment of silence, looked to Jigo as she, as always, retained her smile as she asked, "That was boar's blood painted all over his face?"

"Yep, I see you noticed that." In truth, the hunter's face was in fact, covered in red blood. "It's an old trade secret: don't want to smell human that way." however, something was on the monk's mind as he looked around and cocked an eyebrow, "By the way… where's that warmonger, Takemaru?"

"Oh, he left to go after the Wolf Girl," Yashahime smirked as she looked up at the trees, "He wanted a rematch after his defeat from the outlander, Alexander. He figures that if he follows the wolf girl… he won't be far behind."

"Ah, I see." Jigo had noticed that Takemaru was pissed off about something. More and more, the samurai bandit was becoming a bit unstable, and more angered; all because he lost to an outlander teenaged boy. He couldn't help but chuckle at that, 'Wish I could've seen that; Takemaru beaten up by a kid… that's just priceless.'

As the humans traversed through the forest, a pair of apes, loyal to Saru and Somiesa, kept a close eye on them, and then disappeared into the trees, as they ran ahead to warn their Forest King.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

The forest was quiet, except for the sounds of thudding footsteps that seemed to make the rocks shake with every step. And with it was also the deep labored breathing that would almost be Darth Vader's twin brother. It was Okoto as he climbed up the mountain, but he was in no good shape. He was bleeding all over due to the battle that he had barely retreated from. Cuts and wounds were opened all over his body; you could tell that by the spears that pierced his rump and back, and the blood that poured out of his mouth. His tired and half-dead form stumbled at the giant blind Boar God Guardian did his best to climb up the hillside.

Fortunately, he was not alone as they journeyed up the hill. He was being led by a bloodied Kiba, who's wounds were only flesh wounds completely. He hopped up one rock from the others as he led the way. But he wasn't the only one helping Okoto. For the last one with him, was San, as she stayed by the Giant Blind Boar's side. Her armor, completely gone, save for her arm guards, and what was left of her left sleeve guard. Her fur cloak was gone, as was her red wolf mask. All that she had, aside what was left of her arm armor, was her tattered clothes, her spear, and the two blades she had kept.

"Hang on, Lord Okoto," the wolf girl assured the mighty Boar. "We're almost to the pool of Shisha-Gami." They made their way in the deepened section of the forest. The Wolf Girl kept her soul attention on Okoto; she had made it her sole duty to be his eyes in this time now, "We just have to go a little bit farther."

"Leave me, Princess…" Okoto labored out of his bleeding mouth; his steps slowing down with every breath he took. "I am not long for this world…" the Giant Boar's hooves beginning to lose their hold to the ground as his strength began to leave him, "… you must… leave me here…"

"You mustn't say such things, Lord Okoto," San pleaded to the mighty Boar God, "You'll make it there."

Suddenly, Okoto slipped on one of the rocks, crashing into the rocky grass ground. San nearly gasped as she jumped back a little; she saw as Okoto's form crashed on the rock with a bit of his blood splattered on them. He heaved as he perceived to look around, almost as if his blind eyes could see again. "My warriors have all been killed; either by the humans or those accursed demons that were unleashed upon us." his breathing was becoming more labored with every word he spoke out, "I led them all into that suicide assault against the humans…. I… am responsible for their deaths…"

"You mustn't say such things, Lord Okoto!" San looked to the once proud Boar God as she knelt at his fallen side. The look on her face was one of pity but of wariness of Okoto's sudden attitude change, "Your warriors didn't die in vain at all; they were all proud to fight by your side to the very end. It's like you promised back at the pool: you gave the humans a battle they would never forget…"

Okoto sighed in regret as he closed his blind eyes, "A fool's promise, young one. I knew from the start we would never win this fight, but I also knew it was a fool's quest thinking I could be the one to save this forest." he then opened his eyes once again, and looked up, almost as if he could see the approaching night sky, "I should have listened to Genbu… and to have at least believed in the boy to save us all…"

"Genbu? The Spirit King of Water?" the wolf princess asked in confusion, "What does he have to do with this?"

Okoto's breathing remained labored, but it seemed relaxed a bit now, as he spoke, "Before we had arrived here… I went to see him…."

* * *

The night was cool and clear as crystal, as the sounds of beating waves gently struck against rocks. The night sky was clear with only a few clouds blocking small patched of the glittering diamond-filled skies. The place was a rocky land of island somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But only one patch of plant life was present at this moment; a mighty and beautiful peach trees, with sakura blossoms decorated all around it. Sitting under the tree, a strange old man, with bizarre blue scaled skin and enlarged forearms and greaves with appendages that resembled a turtle's, and dressed in a back and blue Chinese robe that only Buddha priests wore. On his back, was a large turtle shell of sorts, and in his black clawed hand, was a wooden staff of sorts. His face was that of an old man, with a long white beard and bushy eyebrows as his eyes were narrowed, and a small blue gem adorned his forehead.

Okoto, who stood in front of the man, bellowed out to him, "What do you mean you will not help us, Great Spirit King, Genbu?" his roar echoed all over the earth at the man now known as Genbu, "You are master of all waters of the earth! You must give your strength to this invasion!"

"My dear Okoto," Genbu answered as he stood up, overlooking the sky, "You of all Guardian beasts should know that you are entering Shisha-Gami and Somiesa's territory. I cannot simply invade upon them; they will handle this war and come out victorious, no matter the outcome."

"This is more than just the humans now!" Okoto sighed, not sure if this news was good for the Spirit King to hear, "I'm afraid… I have bad news, my king…"

"Ah, Okoto," Genbu chuckled as he looked to the Giant Boar, "There is just news. There is no good or bad."

Okoto sighed, knowing that the king was taking this too lightly, "Master Genbu. It has happened, as we feared it a thousand years ago. Hexxus has been freed of his prison! He is slowly gathering forces under his influence to destroy you and take your powers as his own. You and the other Spirit Kings!"

Genbu's eyes nearly opened with surprise, as he gulped, "That _is_ bad news…" And looked to his left, thinking seriously… until he looked to Okoto with a smirk as he finished, "… if you do not believe that the Savior we will summon from the future can stop him."

Okoto's fury was evident as his blind eye twitched with annoyance and disbelief. He was one of the few Guardian Beasts that had learned of the Six Spirit Kings' plan to send forth a human to save their world's future. And he was mostly those who were furious of such a thing.

"A human? OUR SAVIOR?" he nearly stomped forward towards the Water Spirit King as he bellowed, "Master Genbu, even though I respect you and the other Spirit Kings, what you and the others decided was foolish! Not only did you see into the future and brought back a human to save us… but you did it without consulting the King of the Spirit Kings himself!" he huffed to himself as he angrily argued with the Spirit King further, "And to pick a human to save our world? Madness! They have already destroyed half of our sacred forests. East, West, North, or South… it will not stop with them! Greed has burned a hole in their hearts that cannot be filled! THEY WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH!"

"Such is part of Human Nature," Genbu defended. "Such it is part of our nature to protect the life force of this world."

"But to allow a human to be given the gift of a power of each of the Spirit Kings is sacrilege!" Okoto shouted, "This Time Traveler should not have come at all! It is a mere accident!"

Genbu merely smiled at Okoto as he advised, "There are no accidents, Okoto." however, he saw that Okoto did not and would not listen to this; such was the nature of a boar to be stubborn. Genbu walked back to his seat as he explained, "My dear old friend… the boy will not be able to fulfill his destiny, nor you yours… until the Guardians learn to let go of the illusion of Control."

"Illusion?" the Boar God asked in disbelief, almost as if the mighty Spirit King had lost his mind.

"Yes. Look at this peach tree," Genbu responded as he pointed to the peach tree the elderly King stood under. "Even with all my vast power, I cannot alter the destiny of this tree's actions," the Spirit King of Water replied as he smiled to the Giant aged Boar, "I cannot make it blossom when it suits me, or make it bear its fruit before its time."

Okoto listened but did not care; he turned to look at Genbu and defiantly disagreed. "But there are things we _can_ control," the mighty boar defiantly shot back as he stomped his front hoof on the ground. The rocky surface shook, as the tree's peaches showered down upon the two. The Spirit King raised an eyebrow as the Boar spoke up, "I can control when the fruit will fall…" and then one final peach crashed on the boar's head, startling him.

Genbu chuckled at this as he replied, "True… but you cannot control _where_ it will fall."

"Yes, but I control where and when to plant the seed," Okoto shouted, his stubborn nature getting the best of him. "THAT… is no illusion, King Genbu!"

"Ah yes," Genbu sighed, never showing anger nor frustration when explaining the truth. But then he got up as he looked to Okoto and calmly walked towards him, using the staff as a cane. "But no matter what you do, the outcome will always be the same. That seed will grow to be a peach tree," he explained as he picked up one of the peaches and started eating from it, "You may wish for it to be an apple or an orange…" and stopped as he had finished the peach, and in its place its seed, "… but in the end, it will always be a peach."

The mighty boar god understood where Genbu was going with this but didn't accept it. He angrily shot back, "But a _peach _cannot defeat Hexxus, nor an army!"

"Maybe it can," Genbu defended as he dropped the peach seed into the imprint that Okoto had made. "But only if you or others in this time can guide it… to nurture it… to believe in it."

"But how?" Okoto pleaded in trying to understand, "How? I… we need your help."

"No," Genbu calmly shook his head as he finally answered, "You… and those who meet this boy… you and they just need to believe…" and with that, his body began to glow in shimmers of blue, almost like water ripplings in a pond, "If you cannot help the boy, tell those who can… that I shall be waiting… in the center of the Toxic Jungle…." and then, his body broke apart and spread as it liquefied, disappearing into the cracks of the ground, as he left a bewildered Okoto, with one final say… "You must… believe…"

* * *

"How can… anyone be expected… believe in a human…?" Okoto breathed weakly at this.

"Please, Lord Okoto, we have to keep going," San pleaded as she tried to help him up. However, as she did so, the words that Okoto had spoken to her in his story kept echoing in her head. One Spirit King had confidence within Alex, but barely had met him. San knew that Alex would save the forest, but not one of the God Guardians believed him to do so. Even though she knew him to be nearly sapped mentally of what strength he had to do all this, she believed Alex could do this.

She shook her head clear of those thoughts, 'Stay focused, San. You can't think about him at this time.' but she did think about him despite what she told herself at this time. Considering that he had left her last night, her heart felt strange. It had felt like it had been torn apart when Tsume had uttered the words, 'he left'. her face seemed pained at this time as she tried to focus on the job at hand, but they only turned to what she had told her mother. 'I'm sorry, Mother… I lied. I do hate all humans… but I… I lo…'

Suddenly, Kiba walked next to her sister as he growled furiously. she turned to look at her brother and asked, "Kiba?" she got and walked over to her brother, stroking at the fur on his neck, "Kiba? What's wrong?" seeing Kiba like this, meant trouble was coming. She looked to Okoto and pleaded, "Lord Okoto, we have to keep going."

Kiba narrowed his eyes as he growled out, "Something's out there…"

"Wha…?" the Princess Mononoke looked to her elder brother as she looked around the forest. She sniffed at the air, trying desperately to pick up any unfamiliar scents, but they were being blocked off by the rancid smell of decay in the air. "I can't smell anything," San replied, her nose crinkling with the unpleasant odors. "The air reeks of blood and smoke, I can't smell anything."

Suddenly, a barrage of rocks and sticks were thrown at them. San shielded herself with her free arm as the sticks and rocks didn't deter Kiba in any way. As soon as the falling debris lessened, San looked as she lowered her arm, and saw that it was coming from above. She growled as she saw what, or who it was, and shouted, "I should've known it was you!"

High in the trees, hiding and glaring hatefully at San and her brother, were the apes. The same apes that had kidnapped both her and Alex, just simply to eat his flesh to gain his strength. Apparently, they had become dumber if they were attacking those that were trying to protect the forest. Their leader sneered at San as he shouted, "You did this!"

"Because of you and that horrible half-demon human…" another ape shouted in a dumb tone, "… the forest will die."

"You're wrong about that!" the wolf girl shouted, angered at these deformed and stupid apes, "We've all been trying to save it! And Alex… Alex doesn't want the forest do die; that's why he left the forest! To make sure he didn't hurt us! And here you are, shouting out things you don't even know about! Are you this ungrateful to when we're doing our best to save it?"

"You not save anything," the Ape shouted, "You bring demon in forest, and demon destroyed forest!"

"You're wrong about him!"

"And he bring bad things!" the Apes shouted incoherently, "Bad things coming! Neither human or animal!"

The wolf Princess looked surprised and confused as she asked, "Wait! What do you mean, 'neither human or animal'? what's coming?"

However, San's question was halted as they heard a choir of squeaking and screeches coming from where they had just walked from. Then out of the darkness and cracks of the forest, a stampede of rats and mice came rushing towards them. They swarmed past San, Okoto, and Kiba, completely ignoring them as they ran/jumped over the three. Kiba stood his ground, snarling and growling San looked in confusion as she thought, 'What are they running from?' San's face conveyed much fear but she remained calm to this, 'What could scare both them and the apes this much?'

"They're coming!" the apes shouted, getting the attention of the Wolf Clan as they saw the apes running away shouting in fear, "It's the end for us!"

As the mice and rats finally disappeared, abandoning their ship as it were, the Wolf Clan heard something from afar. Regaining her courage, the Wolf Princess turned to look where the danger was originating from. Deep, deep at the edge of the forest, but not deep enough to obscure to Kiba or San's sights, a strange creature stood perched on the rocks, growling with hunger and unbridled viciousness. It was the same demons, the hell hounds as Yashahime had called them; they had followed them into the forest. Their furnace rib cages blazed with fire as did their eyes, but something was different about them. Their lower teeth appeared to look like tusks, their hind legs had been replaced with clawed hooves, the same glyph battle markings that were on Okoto's boars, and on their backs, spiky hair that resembled a boar's razor-backed Mohawk.

San paled at this, seeing the demons here. "They followed us…" and she finally took notice of their changed appearance, "Wha… what happened to them?"

"They ingested the boars," Kiba answered, his voice in a whispered stat of shock.

The wolf girl looked to her brother and asked, "Ingested? What do you mean by that?"

"I only heard about this from Saru once," Kiba explained, "But I was told that Demons and Half-Demons could increase their strength, or gain new abilities, by devouring the bodies of those they kill. It's through this that they can become faster, stronger, possibly even smarter, though that's probably exaggerated. Due to the ingestion, they also gain the same powers that their enemies possess…"

"Kiba, wait!" the Wolf Princess stopped, sniffing the air. She sniffed in the direction to where the demons were. She paled as the realization, "Kiba… they smell like Okoto's warriors…"

The two were suddenly interrupted by a loud sniffing sound. They turned around and saw Okoto sniffing the air; they realized that he sniffed it too. And due to his eyes as they were, who knew what would happen. Okoto's blind eyes widened as he gasped, "They've come back…" suddenly, after such hopeful realization, Okoto got back to his feet slowly, much to San's shockened surprise, as he disillusioned the situation. "My warriors…" he told himself in denial, "… they have come back to me from the Land of the Dead."

Back on his feet, Okoto bellowed out a mighty roar that nearly shook the forest. His voice shaking the land, and little droplets of blood raining out of his mouth; some of them splattering on San's face as she looked to him in worry. And to make matters worse, the demons roared out, their voices mixed with the boars', fooling Okoto, as he shouted with a loud yet weak voice, "FORWARD, MY WARRIORS!"

"Lord Okoto," San pleaded with the God Guardian, "Lord Okoto, listen…!"

"FORWARD TO THE POOL OF THE FOREST SPIRIT KING!" the once mighty blind boar roared out as he charged ahead, his strength finally returning to the weakened giant blind beast.

"Lord Okoto, wait!" San pleaded, but it was to no avail, as he moved forward. She looked behind them and saw the demons making their way after Okoto. She and Kiba ran after the mighty boar god guardian, hoping to try and stop him from betraying the Spirit King's location. San ran up to Okoto's side as she continued to plead to him, "Lord Okoto, please stop! Your warriors haven't returned!" she looked behind them and saw that the demons were following still, and behind them, more came to increase their numbers.

"They aren't your warriors," San shouted, seeing Okoto not stopping. "They're demons that have absorbed your warriors to hide their scent and fool you!" she then took notice that they were surrounding them on all sides. They were barricading the three, to make sure they wouldn't escape or lose sight of them in case they attempted to lose them. "It's a trick!" the wolf princess continued to plead to Okoto, "It's just a human trick to lead them to the Spirit King, Shisha-Gami! Lord Okoto, please stop! don't you understand?"

However, he wouldn't listen to her as they continued to run forward. But as they all ran, they failed to notice two figures jumping after them in the trees. As they ran, Kiba knew that this was hopeless as he shouted, "San! Leave him; Okoto's done for!"

"No!" San shouted, being stubborn as always, "We can't just abandon him! I wont let him turn into a demon like Nago did!" however, she looked in front of her as she saw they were running into a boulder. Okoto plowed through it, shattering the oversized rock, causing San to scream out in surprise. However, this didn't stop her from chasing after Okoto, as she and Kiba did their best to catch up and stop him. However, the mighty boar god guardian would not stop; anything that got in his way, he would plow it through or run over it.

"Come out, Shisha Gami," Okoto cried out half-dead. "If you are the Spirit King of Life and Death, if you truly are master here… give my warriors the strength and power to vanquish the humans… and be victorious!"

Being brushed on by the branches they were running through, San tried in vain to stop Okoto, "Lord Okoto, please stop! Stop, please! You have to listen!" but he wouldn't; his stubborn nature getting the better of him at this point. San looked to her brother and shouted, "Kiba! Go and warn Mother! Tell her the humans are setting a trap for Shisha Gami!"

"Got it!" and with that, Kiba sped off in the other direction, leaving his sister to help as she could.

"Hurry!" she shouted as his form was almost gone. "Hurry, Kiba! Or it could mean the end of all of us!"

KA-BANG!

A shot was heard through the forest, and a bullet struck Okoto's hind leg. The mighty beast roared out in pain as he stumbled a bit. They had ran into a clearing, and Okoto's form fell as it rolled uncontrollably as he nearly flattened San. However, she was thrown into the air as she crashed a few distances away from Okoto's fallen form. She groaned as she slowly got up, feeling the aches and pain burn and stab in her body from what had transpired. Her vision cleared up as she got on her knees, and saw the demons surrounding the might fallen blind boar god.

"NO!" she shouted, as she jumped to her feet and sprinted towards Okoto's spot. She hopped over them, as she held her spear up, pointing it dangerously as she stood by Okoto's side. "Get back!" the wolf princess shouted as she glared daggers at the demons. They snarled and drooled with anticipation, slowly making their way towards the Giant Boar. "GET BACK!" San shouted, causing the demons to step back a bit, her spear's head pointing right at them, "Stay back or you die! And then this whole forest will see just what you are!"

"And just what do you think we are, Princess Mononoke?"

The voice caused San to jump out of her moccasins almost, as she looked up at the trees to hear where she heard the voices. Un in the trees, the wolf princess spotted two cloaked figures; one was a thirteen year old child in a cloak, and the other, appeared to be a lanky fellow, holding a rifle. San narrowed her eyes in noticing that the human with the rifle was obviously the one that shot Okoto.

The two jumped off the tree branches as they tore their cloaks off to reveal themselves to the wolf princess. The thirteen year-old girl was tanned, but not like Alex; hers was darker than his ever was. Her frame was thin, much like a usual girl her age would be. She had silver Her face seemed to convey a striking seriousness that resembled that of an adult rather than a child. Her hair was silver but with a tint of violet in it, long but tied in a pineapple leaf ponytail, with loose bangs in the front going down to her chin. But the odd thing about her was the black eye patch on her left eye, with the white kanji reading 'Death', and her right eye being the unnatural color of blood red. She was dressed in a violet shoulder-less dress, with the skirt over her knees, and wrapped around her waist appeared to be a black iron bar wrapped around about five times, with devil points ending at her chest. She also had the same black bands on her biceps, and baggy cowboy boots that went up to her knees and had four tussles on the outer part of it.

Her companion, appeared to be a lanky in appearance, but athletically built male. The figure's face was hidden in a black mask, neither baggy or skin tight, with a big eyed jawless skull to where the face should be. His outfit was both baggy but skin tight in some areas, and was colored black and white. From his hands to the mid part of his bicep it was white, while his shoulders were black, his chest, and neck were colored black, while his sides, from armpit to knee, was white, and the whole pants and boots were black, and the toe tips were white. His arsenal included a gunbelt with two holstered guns that appeared to be straight out of WWII, as were the Uzis. On his chest was some sort of belt apparatus that was wrapped around his shoulders and across the right side of his chest, with a metallic cylinder plate on the left side of his chest, and strapped to his back were two black katannas, and two rifles of European design. And wrapped around his thighs were two supply belts of sorts.

The wolf girl snarled, not liking their presence there. She stood at the ready as she held her spear out, ready to thrust it at one of them. "Who are you? What are you doing here, _humans_?"

The girl, Saika, smirked as she flipped her hair as she answered, "I am known as Saika," she pointed to Sechs, "This is Sechs," She then brought her hands behind her as she leaned on her left foot. She looked like an innocent little girl a this moment, as she even asked innocently, "So… where's the time traveler?"

San's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull as she heard that title. The blood in her face nearly stopped cold as she looked at the two and gulped, 'That's what… that's the name Somiesa's followers called him,' she then snapped out of it as the color returned, 'They're after Alex… but I don't know where he is… I have to at least kill them before they look for him…' The Wolf Princess snarled as her hold on the spear hardened, as she glared at them again, "How do you know you're not looking at _her_?"

The silver violet haired girl chuckled as she abandoned her cuteness and reverted to an adult form. "You must really think we're idiot, don't you?" Saika asked, and then looked at the Wolf Whore dangerously, as if she was gonna kill her with one look, "I know you're not the Time Traveler…" she then brought up her left hand as she flexed her fingers, "We heard from Mistress Yashahime how he took down a God-turned-Demon with just one blade…" she then hopped gingerly to one side, and walked normally as she let her arms swing relaxingly, smiling at San as she startled her a bit from her little jump, "… we heard that he's a warrior unlike any the world has ever seen."

San raised an eyebrow as she asked in utter disbelief, "Alex?" but then she closed her mouth and cursed herself for saying his name, 'Stupid! Why'd you say his name?'

The pirate girl's lone eye smirked at this, as she stopped walking towards San. "So that's his name… Alex," Saika smirked as she looked away, and back to Sechs, who was readying his guns, "Finally, the one that spurned our mistress will be found." and she turned to look at San as she balled her fists up, "His death will be legendary!"

Suddenly, an air piercing howl shook them from their argument. They all turned their attention to hear the wolf's howl come far from the distance… as well as a shout, "SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!"

The wolf Princess's eyes went wide as saucers, and her mouth let out a gasp at hearing that familiar voice. Her eyes nearly swelled up with tears as she smiled with glee, "Alex…"

As she was distracted for a moment, Saika looked to the demons, who looked right back at her. She nodded, giving the demons a direct order of sorts. The demons slowly approached the still labor-breathing Okoto, without the Wolf Princess noticing. But then suddenly, they pounced at the Giant Boar with speeding ease, and latched their claws and teeth into him, almost trying to eat him. Okoto roared out with immeasurably amounts of pain, catching San's attention.

"Nooooo! GET BACK!" the Wolf Girl shouted as she charged at the beasts. She slashed at the first one in the back, causing it to jump off, howling in pain. She then stabbed it through the neck, making it choke in its blood, dying like that. This caused the other demons to jump off and surround the girl, attempting to attack her. However, her furious swipes at them caused the demons to back away.

Okoto groaned as he bellowed out weakly, "I burn…" and then the blood on his body began to boil and wriggle like worms would, "There are flames… growing inside of me…." and suddenly growing out of his body, or more specifically the spots that were bleeding, were fresh red slimy worms… the same as Nago's. only it seemed that Okoto was partially transformed as only the spots that were bleeding were sprouting the fleshy worms.

San turned around and noticed Okoto's metamorphosis, "Lord Okoto!" she ran over to him, dropping her spear as she stopped at his side. Her face full of fear, she began to swat away at the red worms that began to grow and slither at Okoto's body. The worms were slithering still, even as San continued to swat at them, they would grow back even faster. "Fight it, Lord Okoto," San cried out, doing her best to try and help, "Don't allow yourself to become a demon!"

Suddenly, she was pulled from behind by a huge white fur-scaled claw. Struggling to break the hold around her neck, she saw that the claw came from the girl, Saika, who grumbled, "It doesn't matter what you do or say, those who are cursed can never hope to returning to who or what they were," the violet-haired girl looked to Okoto's form as it was beginning to stand back up once again, "He's no longer the Blind Boar God."

"You evil humans," San struggled, managing to yell despite a lack of air, "I'll make you all pay for this!"

Saika frowned of annoyance, but then looked to Okoto for a moment, as she looked to San. "Well, if you believe that someone can go back from being a demon…" she then smirked at San as she threw her towards Okoto, "… then let me know!" and San crashed into the beast's side; the red worms swarming all over her.

* * *

**Outside the Forests**

Standing on the ledge of a cliff, overlooking the entire forest, Tsume, Rukia, and Alex stood there. At a moment, Tsume and Alex had howled/shouted out to San, seeing if the Wolf Girl could hear them. But all they heard was a giant shriek coming from what sounded like a giant boar. And then, it went silent. Alex looked to Tsume, noticing the wolf had tensed up, and asked, "Tsume? What is it?"

"It's San…" Tsume answered, looking both serious and scared, "She's in danger."

"Then what are we waiting for? An invitation?" Alex retorted as he jumped off the ledge, "Let's go!" and he slid down to the forest, with Rukia and Tsume following after him.

* * *

**Back Inside the Forest**

Okoto roared, no longer in control of himself, or rather, no longer himself at all. His transformation was slow, but it was obvious that his mind and soul had been shattered… and all that remained was his body, slowly becoming the demonic beast that Alex himself was struggling to control. San's body hung unconsciously on the Blind Boar's tusks, groaning at being thrown so hard. The red worms shot out, touching the ground and all around them, as Saika and Sechs stepped back. They witnessed as when the red worms touched the green grassy ground, it immediately died. Saika smirked at this transformation, as she walked up to the demon that was Okoto, and petted the uninfected area, "Good, now lead us to Shisha Gami," her smile furthered, revealing elongated canines, "… show us the way to the Beast's Death." The Demon God Okoto slowly moved forward, lumbering forward with red worms slashing around like seaweed. The demons followed after the giant boar, with Saika and Sechs following behind Demon Okoto.

As the beast lumbered forward, San began to stir awake, slowly regaining her sight. Suddenly, she shot awake as she saw where she was, and what she was in. the red worms that were emerging from Okoto's flesh snapped at her, causing her to yelp out loud. She tried to pull herself off but to no avail; the worms had a solid hold on her, as they were trying to pull her into her flesh.

"Agh! Ugh!" San struggled, feeling an intense pain from the worms as they touched her skin. The wolf girl gasped as she felt the air being taken out of her lungs. The red worms began to wrap themselves around her body, nearly going through her clothing in order to force their way into her skin. San tried to scream, but the pain the worms caused as they seeped into her flesh was too much.

'Oh Gods…' the wolf girl thought as tears of pain swelled into her eyes, arching her back up as she desperately looked at the sky "I… it feels like my whole body's on fire!" Never before did she experience such pain, 'Is this… is this what Alex has to put through?' She grabbed on to one of the tusks, desperately to get away from this beast. and suddenly, out of the tusks and through her hand, another worm wriggled out. She cried out in pain, "AAGUH! Please… Okoto, stop!" but it was no avail, the beast that was once Okoto was no more. The worms swarmed her as they wrapped around her, attempting to encompass her as she was nearly disappeared.

Feeling the worms merging with her, she cried out, frightened and with tears streaming down her face. "NO!" San shouted, trying to free herself, "I don't want to become a demon!" she desperately clawed her hand out as the worms continued to pull her in deeper as she shouted, "Lord Okoto, please stop!" the worms were pulling her in faster, until she would become completely engulfed. As she nearly disappeared, she shouted, "ALEEEEEX!" and as the worms finally cloaked her, she disappeared completely and was silenced.

* * *

**Back with the Heroes**

The teens and wolf ran as fast as they could, hoping to reach the wolf Princess in time. However, at the rate the teens were going, only Tsume would be able to reach there in time. Rukia knew this to be a fact, and transformed in a split second as they continued their run. "I'll reach there faster if I'm airborne!" she spread her main arms out, and the pinky and second index finger ignited like rockets, as she flew upward. "I'll meet you both there!" and took off like an F-22 Raptor at high speed, disappearing from sight.

The boy and wolf, still running on foot, were left behind in their dust. Angered at the fact that they were being left behind, looked to the boy. Knowing full well that he was slowing him down, he shouted, "You're too slow! Hop on!"

"No, it's alright," Alex reassured as he gritted his teeth, "I can fix that!" he then willed his curse to push it a bit further, maintaining his control on it. Only this time, he managed to will only the foot, greaves, and part of his knee and thigh armor on. Suddenly, the teen outlander's speed began to surpass Tsume's as he slightly sped up with the wolf.

As they reached a Cliffside, the two jumped off, falling towards another ledge. They landed on that one, Tsume with ease as he hopped off, and Alex with the force of a garbage can dropped on it. Alex hopped after Tsume as they sped back into the forest. The two breached the forest's clearing, until they spotted Eboshi's riflemen.

The riflemen, a bit startled and fumbling at their weapons, were relieved as they saw the two jump over them and straight forward. However, they easily got agitated as they shot at them, as they ran through the men. They shoved the Shinto priests aside as they plowed through, as they dodged the shots. Despite all the shouting and frightened cries, Alex continued to pull through with Tsume right beside or behind him. As they almost reached the front of the hunting team, the outlander spotted the one person that they were looking for: Eboshi.

"Eboshi!" Alex shouted, causing the Iron Mistress to turn around, as did Gonza and Jigo. Yashahime was along with them, and she was equally surprised, as she was blushing to see the young outlander. However, one of the riflemen stepped in the way, and shot an iron ball right at him. However, due to the curse affecting him not just in speed and strength, Alex suddenly stopped, and amazingly, performed an upper cut kick, that connected to the bullet, kicking it off course and up into the air.

Landing back on the ground, the boy and wolf sped right in front of the leading party. And amazingly, the two jumped over them and landed nearly twenty feet away as they made their distance. The riflemen who were close shot at them, attempting any way to hit the boy or wolf. However, Alex skidded to a stop, causing Tsume to do so as well as he shouted to the boy, "Have you lost your mind?"

"Go on ahead," Alex insisted, as he swatted an iron shot with his left arm, not even flinching. "I'll catch up!"

The wolf sighed as he turned around, "Your funeral." like a white blur, Tsume was out of sight and out of range from the hunters.

Alex smirked at seeing the wolf get away; not even minding that the shots were missing him. He then turned around as he shouted, "Eboshi! You've gotta stop! I've got a message from Iron Town!"

And then something unexpected happened that caught everyone off guard. Jigo, the one who had the most to gain in this, ordered the riflemen to stop, "Hold your fire. HOLD YOUR FIRE!" they did so hearing the call of their boss. "That's better," the tubby monk then turned his attention to the boy, and smirked, "Hey, kiddo! Small world bumping into ya! Glad to see yer okay!"

"Jigo?" Alex asked, slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Earning a living as always," Jigo answered, scratching the back of his head. "Told ya I had big fish at fry."

"Enough of this," Eboshi pushed into the conversation, and looked to the outlander, "Just what is it do you want?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex relayed the whole situation, "You've gotta turn back! Lord Osano's men are attacking Iron Town; they've got the women and lepers are all outnumbered." he sighed, not knowing if Eboshi would do the right thing, but he said it anyway. "Iron Town needs you, Lady Eboshi! Forget about Shisha-Gami; your home's more important than killing the Spirit King of Life and Death!"

Eboshi's face turned into a scrutinizing frown as she cocked an eyebrow at the boy, "How do I know you're not just lying to me?" her trademark smirk appeared on her face once again, "For all I know, you're using this as a means to protect him."

Alex shook back a little, carefully thinking on his choice of words. Finally, after a heavy sigh, the teen boy answered, "I have no reason to lie to you, Eboshi. But on another note, you're right. I do want to protect Shisha-Gami from you. But I also want to protect those in Iron Town. Shizu and the others are heading back to Iron Town." he then looked serious at Eboshi, making Jigo a little surprised to see the lad like this, "But they can't do this without you. Eboshi… Iron Town needs you, just as much as the world needs the Spirit Kings!"

Amused by the boy's conviction, Eboshi smirked as she taunted, "So it's don't kill the Forest Spirit, Shisha Gami. And now you want us to kill rogue samurai?" she leaned on her gun, as she taunted, "For someone who doesn't like to kill, you seem bent on allowing killers to do your killing for you."

Alex, getting frustrated with dealing with Eboshi, slammed his fist into the tree next to him. The impact of the fist left a huge dent into the tree as splinters flew away from him. "No! and stop twisting it around, Eboshi!" the young teen boy shouted, forcing himself to calm down as he did, "What I want is for you to try to live with the Forest in peace. The same goes for the forest as well; this war's giving you and your town only suffering in the future!" and with that, the outlander sped off to where Tsume disappeared to.

As he left the party behind, Jigo was slightly confused as he scratched the back of his head, "Just who's side is that boy on, anyway?"

"What if the boy speaks the truth, Milady?" Gonza asked. In truth, he didn't like the boy that much, but if what he said was true, than Iron Town was in grave danger, "Shouldn't we go back?"

Eboshi let out a huge sigh, her smile masking a look of regret. "The women and lepers are on their own," Eboshi answered defeated with her choice, "I've done all that I can; the rest is up to them." she then turned to Gonza's direction as she smiled sadly, "All I can do now is pray that the men can get there, and that Iron Town is still standing."

"Milady… " Gonza replied in a whipser, as he noticed that his Mistress was showing regret with this choice.

"Come on, then," Eboshi hardened once again, and hopped down the trail. "Koroku said that this path leads to the pool that he and Alexander rested in." soon after, the riflemen followed after her, as did Jigo and Gonza, "The creature must be somewhere near by. We end this hunt, as well as this war, tonight."

"It's the moment of truth, boys," Jigo smirked as he encouraged his men, "Let's get to it."

Behind them, Yashahime stood there, a look of calm and an icy smile spread across her face. One of Jigo's men walked and stopped next to her as he asked, "Why exactly do we need her again? We could easily kill Shisha-Gami if we get that Eboshi woman and that outlander out of the way."

She turned her direction to the men, and smirked, "Well, when you're gonna kill a Spirit King, it's best to send someone else to do it." she then walked forward as she chuckled, "Which is what I'm hoping Takemaru will do before Eboshi gets to do it first."

* * *

**Pool of the Forest Spirit**

The Forest Spirit King's home was quiet and dark; no signs of the sounds of animals or the shining of the twilight lit up. This was the usual sight for Alex as he ran in there, and looked around the darkened forest. Shisha-Gami was nowhere to be seen, and this was a good thing, considering than an army was out to kill him. But at the moment, his mind was focused on other thoughts as he looked around. He was hoping that San was there, as would Rukia and the Wolf Clan.

He hopped over the roots as he got to the other side, seeing Shisha-Gami's small island. He sighed as he saw that he wasn't there, 'Good. He's not here; that'll make protecting him easy.' however, as he looked around, his blood froze as he spotted a familiar giant silver-furred wolf, "Moro!"

He ran over to her, and saw Rukia landing there as well. She stopped as she transformed back into her human state, and knelt down to Moro, "Lady Moro!" She gently stroked the wolf's fur as Alex arrived and she asked, "What happened?"

Moro's sight was a bit blurry, and she spotted Rukia… and the human. She gave a weak but menacing growl at the boy as she asked, "Why are you… still here? Didn't I warn you…?"

"I'm here to save this forest," Alex answered, "Nothing more."

"Then you'll have to do your best then."

Rukia nearly jumped of surprise, but Alex calmly got up. He slowly turned around, and noticed Takemaru, standing almost fifteen feet away from the boy. The two just glared at one another, not even making a move, until Takemaru casually bowed his head, "I've returned… for round three."

"I'm not gonna fight you, Takemaru," Alex answered coldly, "I've got other important business to deal with."

"Oh yes," Takemaru answered, not exploding in anger as he did the last time they met, "I heard you finally developed a backbone and came all the way here to protect a deer of sorts." he then chuckled a little as he looked to Moro's beat up form, "She tried to do the same when I arrived here… and look what happened."

Rukia stood up, and nearly flamed up as she shouted, "You did this to her?" her face contorted from sorrow to anger in an instant as her hands flamed up, "I'll make you pay…!"

"Wait!" Alex commanded, stepping between the two, and glared right at Takemaru, "Before I let her give you a third-degree burn suntan, let me ask: where's San?"

Takemaru shrugged at that answer, "The Wolf Princess? I haven't bumped into her at all at this time."

Paling at this and worrying a little more, Alex looked to the forest. "SAN!" he shouted, ignoring Rukia and Takemaru at this time, "SAN, WHERE ARE YOU? SAN!"

Not too far away, the Demon Okoto was stomping through, making his way towards the Forest Spirit King's pool. In its wormy coat, the Wolf Princess's body was hung in there, lifeless but still breathing. San didn't move for a moment, until she heard a familiar voice call out to her, slowly waking up…

"San!"

San immediately woke up, a look of surprised shock was on her face. "Alex?" she gasped in surprise at this. Trying her best to break free, San struggled, but to no avail. Feeling the worms about to engulf her again, she shouted before they did so, "ALEX!"

Takemaru smirked at this turn of events, as he started to back away for a moment, "I think I'll wait until the real you awakens, Alexander."

Then suddenly, a squealing roar was heard that broke the tension between the three. Takemaru instantly noticed the large figure to be a Boar God, but smirked as he saw something else. He looked to the teens and smirked once again, "I'll leave the rest to you," and hopped away with inhuman agility, high up in the trees from branch to branch, until he was perched in one spot as he overlooked the two.

It was then that the two teens took notice as the shape came into the light. Rukia immediately smiled as she saw Okoto, "Lord Okoto!" and was about to run out to greet him, until Alex stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Alex, what are you doing!" the Fire Spirit asked the boy, "It's Lord…!"

"Look again, Rukia," Alex answered pointing at Okoto's form. As soon as she did, Rukia gasped in fear at what she saw. Okoto's body was only halfway finished but his flesh was sporting more of those red worms on his corpse. Rukia's strength left her as she didn't struggle, allowing Alex's grip to soften, "It's just like with Nago. He's turning into that same demon I killed."

"Lord Okoto…" Rukia's strength nearly left her, as her knees started buckling. "It's over… "

"Not yet, it isn't," Alex reassured her as he stepped forward, "Shisha-Gami's not dead yet."

As Okoto's form was slowly making its way out of the forest, the Hell Hound Demons roared forward. They came swarming in around the teens, encircling them as their teeth and claws were almost ready to slice through them all. Then stepping casually towards them, Saika and Sechs stopped, with Sechs pointing his gun at Alex's head, "Hey, Saika… Yashahime said I can kill'em, right?"

"Only if he gets in the way," Saika answered. She then lifted her left arm out, and surprising the two teens, it started to change. It grew and sharpened in length, until it was now a black and purple shoulder blade weapon, with her fingers turned into blade claws. She glared at Alex as she threatened, "Leave this forest now, boy. Or you'll end up dead."

Alex's fist tightened, and glared right back at Saika, "I take it you guys were sent by Eboshi or Yashahime," the young teen huffed as the two nearly smirked at this boy's questioning, "I was right the second time. That crazy Ghost Princess, Yashahime's your boss."

"You dare speak her name?" Saika whispered, shocked in disgust and her eye twitching as she reached for her eye patch, "YOU FILTHY HALF-DEMON!"

"Hey, calm it," Sechs stated as he stepped in, making sure his young colleague didn't lose it. He then looked to the young outlander as he taunted, "Hey, uh… you lookin' for that wolf girl?" he pointed to Okoto's cursed body, "Well… she's right… over… in there."

Both the human outlander and Fire Spirit looked in confusion as they looked at Okoto's body. The giant boar stopped for a moment, almost close enough to close the gap. Hoping that the two were lying, Alex stepped forward, passing the two, and the demons, and stopped as he was only fifteen feet away from the beast as it stopped in front of him. Taking a gulp, and nearly sweating, Alex shouted, "San! Are you in there? It's me, Alex! Can you hear me?"

The worms on Okoto wriggled like crazy… and then, a foot kicked out. Alex and Rukia eyes nearly bulged out of their skulls, as they saw San's leg stick out, kicking out to be free, until it was pulled back in. "SAAAAAAAAAN!" Alex shouted as he ran towards Okoto, in an attempt to free San out. As he ran towards the Demon Okoto, the worms showered right on to his body, but he swatted them away, ignoring the burning sensation they made on his bare skin. 'This is nothing,' Alex told himself, 'Nothing that she isn't going through.'

Saika growled as she looked ot the demons, "Kill him! He'll ruin everything!" and with that, the demons were going after the boy, growling and snarling.

However, they were torched by a transformed Rukia, as she ran towards them, giving Alex the chance to break through. The demons swarmed after her as well, but she proved to be too good a fighter against them. Then suddenly, Tsume and Kiba, who had both found one another, charged right on in. they pounced at the demons, assisting the female Fire Spirit.

"San!" the boy shouted, and going as fast as he could towards Okoto. Then as he got close, and going against his better judgment, he leapt at Okoto, nearly diving into the red worms. He stood his balance on the giant boar's snout, and began digging as fast as he could, pulling at the red worms away. 'Be alive,' Alex prayed to himself, 'San, please be alright…!' As the young outlander continued to pull at the Giant Boar's worms, the beast roared out, spewing firehouse blasts of blood from his mouth.

Alex grunted, as the worms began to dig into his flesh, which caused a nasty reaction. The worms began to awaken his curse ever farther, as the black ooze began to stretch all over his body, until it reached his neck. The rest of the golden armor, as well as the fur scarf cloak and shawl began to appear. The boy knew that he was running out of time; he had to work fast and get himself and San out of there. As he pulled one more time, the young teen spotted a glittering object. Alex smiled with glee, 'Kaya's crystal..' he finally found her as he reached in deeply, and got a hold of something… or someone.

With a gentle but firm pull, Alex easily pulled San's unconscious form to him. He gritted his teeth, as the worms bit at his flesh, not even noticing that the black ooze was slowly encompassing his head. San didn't know what was going on; at first all she felt was the burning that the cursed worms had caused her. But now, she felt a familiar warm hand and arm around her. She slowly and weakly opened her eyes, to see in her sights a joyous look.

"Alex…" San whispered as her face showed a smile with tears in her eyes, "You… you came back…"

"Yeah, promised I would, didn't I?" the boy smirked at her, but then twinged in pain as he gritted his teeth, "I… I gotta get you out of here!"

"Wait, wha…" Before San could figure out what he meant, Okoto's body shook furiously, trying to shake the boy off. However, the boy was almost finished with what he needed to do. With all his might, and with the worms biting his flesh, Alex pulled San loose, and threw her out of there. Terrified at seeing Alex stayed behind, she reached out to him as she shouted, "ALEEEEEX!" and then she crashed into the pool's water.

After she had swam back to shore, San coughed out water in her lungs, and fell to her knees. She heaved deeply, making sure that all the water out of her lungs were gone. Afterwards, the wolf girl looked to her side, and noticed her mother's boyd. Terrified, she got up and knelt down, the tears going down her face, "Mother? Mother! Please, say something!"

"It's alright, San," Moro said, finally waking up. The beating she had received from Takemaru nearly fatal for her, "I… I shall be alright… for now…"

"Don't talk," the wolf princess insisted, "I'll…. I'll think of something…"

"San, listen to me…" Moro struggled with her words, "You must… you and the Fire Spirit, your brothers… and the human… must flee this forest… now…"

"N....no! Mother, please!" she begged, clutching handfuls of the Wolf-God's fur. "If I did something to dishonor you, I'm sorry!" Her legs failed her and she slowly fell to her knees. "I'll do whatever you want....... anything you ask me...... but please, Mother....... don't make me leave!" Her words soon became lost in the uncontrollable sobs that rang forth from her. "I don't...... I don't want to be abandoned again......... don't want to be abandoned again!"

"San…" Moro whispered gently, using her enormous maw to gather her human daughter to her, embracing her like a human mother would. "I am not punishing you, my daughter."

"Then why? Why are you making me leave? We can't abandon Lord Shisha-Gami…"

"Because........ the time has come to set you free."

The young wolf girl looked up at her mother, streams of tears pouring from her reddening eyes. "Free?"

"I do not regret taking you into my clan and raising you as one of my own, San," Moro continued. "What I do regret however, is the way that I chose to raise you."

"I don't..... I don't understand."

"I raised you out of spite for the humans, San. And as a result you've grown to hate your own kind. You hate your own kind, San! And because of that, you hate yourself."

San nodded, "Yes..... I do hate myself."

"And _that........_ is what I regret above all else, San," Moro replied. "No one....... not even a human-child should be taught to hate themselves."

"You took me in when my own, _human_, parents abandoned me," San said, regaining control over her emotions. "And for that I am grateful."

"I know you are, San. But now....... the time has come to seek your own path....... To find your own place in the world........ and live your life the way you wish to live."

"Mother I...…" Her breath was labored and seemed to burn like fire in her aching chest. "I can't do this alone." She began to cry again.

"San," Moro whispered in her daughter's ear, "Do you have feelings for that young human?"

San nodded, even though her face showed a little surprised by that question coming from her mother. Yet she answered, "Y....yes."

"Do you love this young human?"

San closed her eyes tightly, letting a few more tears role down her cheeks. A part of her wanted to simply scream out 'No! I hate him!' But in the depths of her heart, the young wolf girl knew that she would be lying to not only her mother, but to herself as well. "Yes," she finally said, "I _do_ love him."

"Then help him, San," Moro answered. "I know his chances for survival are very low at this point but....... there may still a chance left for him....... however small and unlikely it may seem."

San could not speak. As she let her mother's words sink into her heart, she ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the crystal dagger that Alex gave her........ the crystal dagger that he had let for her.

"Help him San. Don't let the demon festering within him drive away what's left of his humanity. He is more fragile than he lets on."

"I know," San rose to her feet and gave her mother one last hug.

Moro smiled faintly. 'Well Isaaku my old friend......... I gave her an alternative.'

Suddenly, Okoto let out a distressed roar, as he shook his head furilusy, catching everyone's attention, friend and enemy. And then, a blob of the red worms were shaken off, landing twenty-five feet away in the middle of everyone. Friends and enemies looked at the blob for a moment, and then it started to move. Shooting out of the blob, the armored right hadn of Alex clawed its way, clutching at the air.

San smiled at this, as the tears didn't stop on her face, "Alex, you're…" but then she paled, and became frightened as she and everyone else saw what had happened.

The young outlander stood up, the ooze finally melting off of him as he stood. But this time, he was fully covered in his armor form. But this time, something was different, his whole head was encompassed in an armored helmet of sorts. The orange hair he had now, spiked up and hardened to resemble sharp spikes of sorts. His whole face encompassed in a golden yellow armor, with sharp teeth around the mouth, and two tusk like structures shot out of the jaw, beneath two slits of yellow eyes. And then, the boy stood as he brought his arms back, and let out a mighty roar, shaking the whole forest around them.

The worst had happened… Alex's curse… had fully awakened, bringing forth the demon within… and much to San's fear… killed the boy within.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.1**

Genbu: Randall Duk Kim

Saika:

Sechs: Ryan Reynolds


	24. Hulk vs Abomination pt1

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 23:Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.1**

* * *

**Pool of the Forest Spirit**

* * *

It was a horrible sighed to behold at this moment in the pool of the Forest Spirit King. Both enemy and friend stood at their spots, witnessing such a terrifying event. Even the Kodama, who were all watching high in the trees, shook with fright at the sight of the boy-turned-half demon. However, one person, Takemaru, sat comfortably in the tree, overlooking the transformation of the outlander. The wolf princess, collapsed on her knees and her whole body weakened, could only look in terrified fright at the creature, that was once the outlander time traveler named Alex Killian, that stood roaring up into the air.

The teen youth's whole body, was now covered in the black ooze and golden yellow armored form. But now, his head was also covered in a skin-tight armored shell. His hair had also transformed, retaining its orange color and long growth, but now it spiked and shined like it was made of armor. His face as well as the rest of his head, now covered in a skin-tight golden yellow armored helmet of sorts. There was a long demonic smile engraved into the armored faceplate; the mouth designed with sharp front teeth with two small but sharp tusk like teeth coming from the lower jaw, and the jaw ending at a sharp end of the back of the jaw. Two slits showed its nose as it breathed slowly but deeply, and two narrowed slits glowed yellow, indicating the eyes. Its mouth opened, revealing nothing but pitch black darkness, as it roared out.

Its demonic cry shook the forest, nearly freaking out all those who stood, or were now entering, the forest at this time. The two wolf brothers, finishing off the demons they were fighting off, stopped as they looked to the boy. Saika and Sechs, taking a good distance away, watched to see what would happen. Rukia, on the other hand, gulped as she awaited to see what would happen.

San, slightly regaining the strength in her legs, slowly began to stand up, looking at Alex's transformed state. Her eyes and face full of fear if it was obvious as to what had happened. 'Alex…?' the wolf girl paled as the beast stopped roaring, and looked around now, 'There's something… different with him now…' The wolf Princess only prayed that she was wrong about her fears.

The Demon Beast, that was once Okoto, slowly made his way to the boy, and stopped as it sniffed at the boy. The transformed outlander turned his head sharply at the Demon Okoto, letting out a small growl. Okoto stopped as his blind eyes went wide for a moment; his eyes were filled with a startled fear that crept up his spine. Even in his lessened mind, Okoto sensed what the thoughts inside the half-demon were just by hearing that growl. The thoughts racing through his head were none of fear, sadness, or hunger. Instead, the growl was full of immense rage and hatred that would pierce even the thickest armored hide.

Rukia looked to the boy, with worried thoughts clouding her mind as she looked at Alex. 'He's alright…' she thought as she gulped, 'But… something isn't right. Usually, he would be spouting out some bizarre cursing, or something as foreign to describe the situation…' It was then that she paled as her eyes went wide with shock, 'No! It's already happened…!' she looked to Okoto, and pleaded to the transformed Boar God Guardian, "Lord Okoto! Get away!"

San looked to the Fire Spirit and asked, "Rukia? What's wrong?"

"I sense it as well," Moro answered, still slowly regaining what was left of her strength. "The boy's aura is saturating with rage and malice…"

The Wolf Girl looked at Alex worried, and was about to step forward, until Moro stopped her, "San, don't!"

"Wha?" the wolf princess asked, stopping in her tracks and turned to face her mother, "But why?"

"Because… he's no longer a human. Nor the boy you knew and loved."

The half-demon that was once Alex, took a step back, letting his arms fall to his sides as his fists balled up. The boy's mouth closed slightly, leaving only a slit opened as he let out a hissing snarl. Okoto roared out, nearly shaking the area around them all, spewing outblood from his mouth. The Giant Blind Boar then charged o at the boy, roaring out and attemptingto skewer the boy with his aged tusks. The beast was close enough to ram his tusks right into the boy. However, all the demon-turned Alex did, was let a small smirk appear on his armored maul of a mouth.

Realizing full well what would happen, Rukia, now more frightened than ever, looked to everyone, but to Okoto as she once again attempted to reach the Boar God Guardian once again, "Lord Okoto, don't attack him! Alex is…!"

But it was too late…

A loud thunderous boom was heard, nearly shaking the forest all around them. Lord Okoto's form stood, nearly overshadowing Alex as he just stood there, with his hooves digging into the ground. But then, everyone, including San, witnessed what had happened. Okoto's body quivered and shook, racked with pain as blood began to spew from his mouth. But it wasn't from a roar, as Okoto was choking on his own blood; the red worms twitching almost like they were having a stroke all at the same time. His eyes nearly bulged out of his skull, as a massive blast wave shook out from behind him. Slammed into his nose ridge, the balled up right armored fist, had nearly plunged itself deep into Okoto's skull. The outlander Alex had nearly punched a hole in the skull of the Boar God.

As he did this accomplishment, much to both parties, an evil smirk popped up on the demonic armored faceplate. And what shook everyone to the core, a small chuckle escaped the jagged lips of the armored faceplate as well. The sound of breaking bones was eminent from the Boar God's head. However, Alex wasn't finished as he took his left hand, and forcibly grabbed Okoto by the throat, lifting him up with only one hand. The Boar God Demon gargled as the half-demon's grip tightened, making it even more difficult for it to breath. It thrashed and roared as Okoto tried to break free, but the half-demon outlander's grip was apparently much stronger than its own strength.

Then, feeling that it was done choking the giant boar, he slammed the Boar God into the ground, nearly making an earthquake. The outlander then hopped onto the boar's still body, and began to continuously pummel the beast's stomach, without even holding back at all. As he punched senselessly at the boar's body, Okoto gagged and gargled constantly… and Alex, with everyone watching in horror… was laughing maniacally.

As he continued to do this, with his laughter becoming more maniacal by the minute, everyone nearly wet themselves at this. Rukia, who was going paler and sweating vastly as she was on the verge of nearly fainting. Saika, who's lone eye nearly shrunk at seeing this horror. Even though she revered her mistress, the Ghost Princess Yashahime, to frighten and bring fear into the bravest of men with ease, this outlander had become more terrifying.

Sechs, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy this as he cheered on, "Yeah, baby! Stomp his guts in! tear his head off!"

However, the Wolf Princess, San, was becoming more terrified not for herself, but for the outlander, Alex. Her brown dripped of sweat, and her whole body shivered with fear as she looked at the human she had fallen in love with. She lightly stepped forward, ignoring the danger, as she whispered, with fright in her eyes, "Alex…?" she slowly reached out, almost as if she could touch him. "Wh… what are you…?"

As the half-demon Alex pummeled Okoto's twitching body, the inhuman mouth opened up, spewing out the most rage-fueled laughter to ever echo in the forest. It permeated the audience all around them to no extent. However, the Hell Hounds refused to give in to their fear, as they charged forward towards the golden yellow armored half-demon. They pounced right at him, about to catch him off guard. However, he wasn't blind to them at all, as he turned around, and ran his fist through the first demon's head, killing it instantly. The others, he either punched, elbowed, or even slammed his feet into them, using Alex's knowledge of Martial Arts. In truth, there were several of the Hell Hounds that nearly swarmed the boy, the single outlander being was taking them down easily, either beating them to death, or literally tearing them apart. The grounds the boy stood on, became soaked red with demon and Boar God's blood, as the former human half-demon cackled insanely with rage.

The Princess Mononoke, who stood by watching this, could only watch the carnage before her and the others. Her hands slowly reached her mouth in order to cup it from the horror. "I-It can't be…" San whispered, as fresh tears began to form. "…Please tell me… that isn't… Alex?"

"I'm afraid that _is_ him," Rukia answered as she walked towards San and stopped next to her. The Fire Spirit's face hardened with resolve on her choice as she looked at the being that was once Alex, killing off the Hell Hounds. "Because he jumped into the worms that swarmed his flesh… he exposed himself to Okoto's fury…" Rukia flexed her fingers in anticipation. "When Okoto's curse touched him… somehow it awoke Alex's curse within him fully… turning him into a full-fledged Half-Demon."

"Then why?" San nearly cried out as she looked to Rukia for answers, "Why is he acting like this?"

"When Alex was cursed, Nago had transferred not only his power, but the last thing that he felt before he died: his unbridled hatred and rage of the humans," the Fire Spirit answered, as they turned their attention back to Alex, who was punching at the few remaining demons while breaking the neck of a demon currently in his right arm. "Alex wasn't transformed just physically… but now ferocity is in both a Demon and a human's blood," she answered as she pointed to the boy. "It's in a demon's nature to be a hunter, killer… and now…" her face frowned in despair, as Rukia looked to Alex's skin tight armored face as it let out a demonic smirk, the yellow eyes dimly glowing, "… it's become Alex's nature as well. He's become a creature that possesses the strength and power of a young God, and the intelligence of a human. But… he possesses a rage and killing instinct that will doom him to wander the world in search of blood and carnage."

The girls and wolves, not to mention the three enemies that stayed their distance, looked to the outlander's form as he stood there, admiring his handiwork. There he stood, his armored hands all bloodied up, and in his right hand, the torn remains of one of the Hell Hounds, as the rest of the corpses were scattered all around him, either dead or dying. Alex, just chuckled, satisfied by his handiwork, completely forgetting who he was.

Takemaru smirked at this, sitting contently on the branch as the black ooze and black metal began to encompass his form. "Now you've become more of a fighter for me to deem worthy… of killing…"

As the demon once known as Alex stood at the bloody handiwork, he sniffed the air. He turned to look to his left, and saw an unfamiliar girl walking towards him. Rukia slowly made her way towards him. And then in a brilliant flash of fire, she transformed into her True Spirit form; her hair and talon fingers all ablaze. "I've always hated humans, ever since my flame ignited. And ever since I met you, Alexander Killian, my hatred burned until it became a wildfire. First you intrude in this very forest, then Somiesa stated you were meant to save us all. And to top off all my burning intense dislike… you softened the cold heart of the only human I have ever respected…" Then, she coldly looked to the Half-Demon with a menacing glint in her eyes, "I just want you to know… if you can understand what I'm saying… don't take this personal."

Both the Half-demon and Wolf Girl looked in confuse by this… that is until Rukia charged right at him, and delivered a devastating mean right hook into Alex's armored face. sending him flying into one of the trees, and leaving an imprint of himself into it. Rukia charged right at him with rocketing speed; to San, everything seemed to slow down at that, as she screamed out, "RUKIA, NO!"

* * *

**Not Too Far Away**

* * *

The quiet forest was now teeming with sound as something stomped through the forest in hastened speed. The earth shook as the sound of stamping feet striding in the forest at full force. The force towered a giant shadow in the moonlight as the giant creature jumped from the forest and towards the Pool of the Forest Spirit. Suddenly, following behind him was the same silver, as well as a few of his fellow apes. The Silver ape looked to the towering beast as it went at full speed, "Is it true? Alexander's curse has fully been unleashed?" the giant nodded, keeping silent as it continued to tromp through. The silver ape looked away, trying to hide his frown, "Then all is lost."

"Not necessarily," the giant answered, drawing the apes' attention, "Even though I smell a demonic aura shrouding him, there's a glint of the boy's scent in there. Meaning he hasn't fully given up; he's fighting for his humanity within the beast!" they continued to make their way towards the pool, even when he mumbled, "I just pray that Rukia hasn't killed him yet."

* * *

**Back at The Pool**

* * *

Alex's demonic body was thrown harshly into the ground, creating a fissure of dirt and a mound of rock and grass behind him. He slowly began to get up, his voice growling with rage, as a small drop of black ooze mixed with blood started dripping from his armored jaw. "Forgive me, Alex, for I can't save you," immediately Alex's transformed state looked up towards where the voice came from. He immediately spotted Rukia, walking over to him with her primary fists all ablaze, as he got to his knees, attempting to get up, as she went on. "I truly am sorry. But this is the only way for you to be saved," she then stopped as she finished, "Don't bear any hatred towards me because of this…"

She hten charged at him, blowing flames at such ferocity and ower at him. However, it didn't work, as he drew up his arms in order to shield him from the flames. As Rukia kept on going, Alex suddenly shot up right at her, surprising the Fire Spirit, and delivered a powerful punch to her. She flew back a bit, but used her secondary hands as rockets to spew out fire to stop herself. She snorted as she ran up to him, using all four of her fists to punch/chop/slash at him. Alex, on the other hand, taunted her as he began to dodge every blow she attempted to deliver at him. But he slipped up a bit as one hand was attempting to stab his skull through like a lance would. However, at the last second, he vanished in a blur, and Rukia shot her hand through one of the trees.

Surprised by this, her eyes widened as she thought, 'He's that fast?' but then, another thought popped into her head, 'Or have I just pushed myself to near exhaustion?' she then heard the low growl from behind her, as she turned to look, after she freed her hand. There Alex was, growling as before as he let his shoulders hunch up behind him, like a cat would when pissed off. She paled as she saw the burn marks of his armor vanish, and the scratches began to heal up. 'A self-Healing ability? Is this the boy… or the curse that's doing this?' she clenched her fists, and her hair sprung up as it flamed alive; her eyes narrowing to angered slits, 'I have to finish this… otherwise he'll…'

"Rukia, stop!"

The Fire spirit nearly jumped as she turned to look around, and saw the Wolf Princess. The look on the girl's face was one of pure shock and fear, as she slowly walked towards the two. "STOP!" Rukia shouted, causing the wolf girl to halt in her tracks, "Please, Princess. don't come any closer, I beg of you!"

"Then tell me why, Rukia!" the Wolf Princess yelled out, pleading on what the Fire Spirit was doing, "Why are you fighting Alex? Just what are you trying to do? If you fight him like this, you might kill him!"

"That's the idea," Rukia answered coldly, turning her back from the princess. "I'm going to kill him."

"Wha…?"

"No," Rukia answered as she shook her head, and looked right back at the half-demon before her. "The truth is… he's already dead." she looked directly at Alex, who was waiting with whatever the Fire Spirit would do. "I'm only sorry he wasn't blessed with a better fate: True Death." Rukia's flames slowly burned a bit, but then flamed up as she sneered at Alex's demonic form, "Instead, he's cursed to wander in that shameful state." she then turned a little to look at San's face now. The Wolf girl's face was full of fear; her eyes widened and her whole body shook lightly, as she stood straight up. Rukia's eyes grew saddened for a moment, as she turned to face her opponent, "You know that Alex would never wanted to live like this."

However, despite what Rukia thought, what the princess displayed wasn't fear… but sadness. For when the Fire Spirit turned around, her eyes swelled out with tears as they streamed down her face. San cupped her mouth as the thoughts screamed into her head, 'No… please, don't…!'

Rukia then charge forward, her right fists all aflame as she was about to kill him, once and for all. Alex stood there, but crouched as he was about to step towards the Fire Spirit and impale the girl on his right fist. However, before any of them could presume killing one another, a silver blur shot in between them, and it stopped… to reveal itself to be San. She held her arms out, her back turned to Alex, as she looked to Rukia and pleadingly shouted, "NO, STOP!"

Rukia, and surprisingly the demon-turned Alex, both stopped before they could kill one another. San stood there in the middle, keeping the two from killing each other, and heaving for breath. It had taken everything she could in order to out speed the two, and her eyes still streaming with tears. She finally looked to Rukia, and pleaded with a weak voice, "Rukia, please… you can't kill him…"

Rukia snarled at this, not because the princess stopped her, but because she was stopped period. "… do you value your life, Princess Mononoke?" Rukia asked dangerously menacing; her eyes narrowing, almost to the point of them glowing aflame. "Just step aside, now. And let me finish this."

The tears in San's eyes lessened a bit, but she was still crying. Here, two people that she had grown to care about, were on the verge of killing one another at this point, unless she did something. She shook her head, and wiped her eyes a little with one hand as she looked to the Fire Spirit, "You shouldn't act so tough, Rukia. You're not doing a good job at it." San's voice was gaining a little strength as she looked to her, "After all… your hand shaking is proof enough."

Rukia didn't know what she was talking about, until she turned to look at her right hands. She noticed that they were shaking; it wasn't because she was exhausted, but because deep down, she didn't want to hurt Alex. She looked terrified by her hands shaking like this. She shook her head, and hardened her heart again as she growled, "That's nonsense!"

"It's the truth and you know it!" San shouted, as her smile began to return, as a few stray tears slowly formed again in her eyes. So she looked down to prevent anyone from seeing them, "I can see right through you… you try to make everyone, including Alex and me, to thinking that you don't care… that you're devoid of feeling anything for humans… but now I know…" she then looked up, surprising Rukia. San's eyes, even though were streaming with tears once more, but this time, as the light hit them slightly, they sparkled through the tears as she finished, "… Like me… you love him just as much as I do…"

Rukia's face was filled with a surprised and yet saddened shock at that realization. It was true, she did grow to care for the human that had captured the Princess Mononoke's heart. She never wanted to admit to such a thing; her hatred for humans had pushed any love out of her heart for anyone at this point. But she shook her head, insisting on what had to be done, "That's just foolish! We can't…"

"And that's why… " San continued, ignoring Rukia's pleas, "… I can't let you do this, Rukia. You can't hurt him…" she then dropped her arms, knowing now that neither one would attack now. "… none of us can hurt the boy we love, Rukia."

"Princess," Rukia whispered… and went buy-eyed as she shouted, "GET AWAY!"

"Wha…?" San asked, but it was too late, as she turned around. Suddenly, she saw Alex, take a huge lunge at her, and swiped at her right side, nicking her hip, as it bled out. San went wide eyed as she saw what had happened… Alex, the human her heart yearned for… had attacked her. 'He really is…' San thought, fearing the worst in that Rukia was right, but she stopped herself as she saw it. Even though his face was armored, and his eyes were black and yellow… his left eye was shown to be shedding tears.

Then suddenly, before Rukia could charge and mount an attack on him, a black blur shot out from above them. It landed on the ground, and delivered a devastatingly powerful right punch to Alex's face, sending him flying across the pool. San fell to her knees, as she saw who it was that had punched the boy. It was that bastard samurai, Takemaru, but like Alex, his full-bodied armor had shown as well, minus the masked helmet.

Takemaru, was now in the same black ooze film skin tight armor that Alex had on, but instead of golden yellow armor, it was grayish black armor instead from neck to toe. His chest was only half-way covered with the grayish armor; his right side was armored in a European fashion breastplate armor, with a lion's mauling toothy grin etched into it, with a half-V chest line going down. The right side of his chest was covered by a gray and fluffy fur shawl resembling a lion's mane, and went down to his back, all the way down to his left calf. As before, his right shoulder pad resembling a samurai's shoulder guard, with it being triangular than rectangular. The forearm was covered in a skin tight black forearm guard, with six blades in two rows. And on the hand, five claw points were on the knuckles, as well as the fingers ending at claws, and in the center of the back of the hand, the red gem was placed there, glowing like the eyes of the devil. The same forearm and hand armor design was on his left arm and hand as well, but this time, from his elbow to his shoulder, was a puffy-looking armor that looked like the same as his right armguard, except it resembled a sleeve than armor. Around his waist, a grayish black armored belt with a claw like X in the middle of it, and behind him an armored scale shawl was there, reaching and covering the back knees, and an armored loin cloth going down to his knees as well. His legs were covered in the skintight black ooze as well, but half of his thigh was covered in a diamond shaped grayish black armor guard. The greaves were skin tight as well, but on the knee was a sharp white armor, and the lower part were scaly from the calf to the ankle. On his feet, the same skin tight black ooze was there, but this time, he had enlarged grayish black heel guards with blades sticking out, and the toes had toe guards as well, but with the toes armored up to like lion's claws. His neck was covered in the black ooze film, with a shirt collar guard of sorts. His hair, remaining the same length, had turned gray. Now under his eyes were two claw scar marks, with his right eye going black with the iris going red and feline like. The scar on his left eye still remained, and it was completely black, almost hollow, but there was a small glowing red dot in the center of it.

"I've had enough of this sentiment," Takemaru roared out, as Alex was getting back up, "I didn't come all this way to watch a soap opera… I came here to kill you, boy!" he then charged in to punch the boy, but Alex deflected it, and delivered a punch to the gut. Takemaru grasped the boy's shoulder, and growled as he looked at him square in the eye, "So even as a mindless beast, you can actually fight me? Sounds fair to me…" he then broke the boy's grip, and hopped into the air inhumanly.

Alex snarled at this as he roared out inhumanly, and shot after him. Pretty soon, everyone saw a gray blur being chased by a yellow blur, jumping from tree to tree. The Kodamas moved out of the way, not wanting to get involved in the onlsaught. The two beings when they struck past one another, delivered such devastating blows to noe another, that nearly caused cracks to appear in their armor. Neither one was being close to killing the other; in truth, they were closely equal to their strenght. However, Takemaru, accepting the curse of a Lion God Guardian, he was given more power than a mere Boar God could ever suffice.

As the two half-demons were duking it out in blur mode, Rukia was helping with the wolf girl. She lightly held her shoulders, thinking that San was in pain. The wolf girl's head was lowered down looking at the ground, and she still clutched to her slightly bleeding side. "Are you alright, Princess?"

"S…S…" was all San could say at that moment, but she spoke out one word, "…. Save…"

"Don't worry," Rukia reassured her, "We just need to treat that wound…."

"Not me! I'll be fine!" the wolf girl shot out. She finally lifted her head, looking at the blurs, in tear-filled eyes as she cried out, "… Alex! Please… someone… save him…!"

KA-PLOW!

The two blurs finally crashed into the ground, like two meteors striking the ground. The dust cloud and dirt shower ended as the two armor cladded beasts stood up, and slowly walked out of the craters. As the dust cleared, they were both worse for wear. Both Takemaru and Alex's armors were cracked and dusty from their squabble. But for Alex, he sported more dents and cracks than his opponent did. And part of his faceplate was missing, revealing only his left eye and some of the black ooze film that covered his face. And finally, after a moment of silent staring, the two roared out as they charged at one another, attempting to bash their heads in once again.

Then suddenly, the tree roots, and several vines, shot out to both of them, wrapping around their arms and torsos. In this confusion, they tried to pull themselves apart, but instead they were pulled to opposite ends of the battlefield. The vines wrapped around them, holding them both back as more vines and roots held them in place.

The girls and wolves looked at this confusingly, until a loud ape roar shook the area. And then suddenly, Somiesa appeared, as did his followers high in the trees. Somiesa looked and saw the area nearly half-destroyed as he looked to Alex, who was roaring and struggling his way out. He sighed heavily, taking pity on the boy now, "So it seems our savior's curse has gone ot the point of no return."

He then heard chuckling from behind him, and turned to see Moro barely able to stand herself up. She then turned her gaze to the mighty ape Spirit King, "I knew this plan would fail from the start." she then turned her gaze to the human, who was lashing to be freed now, "This boy is beyond your power now; it's just as much. Our future was doomed either way."

"Not yet it isn't, Moro," Somiesa said.

"Defiant to the end, I see."

"Not quite, Moro. It is time now," Somiesa said, as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, his whole body was aglow with light green, as everyone watched from afar, and all that green light shined to the ground, and began to take shape at everyone's eyes. As the light died down, everyone beheld at what they saw.

Standing right in front of Somiesa's mighty form, was a human of sorts. He was large, athletically built, standing between either 5 to 6 feet in height. He was dressed in a brown sleeveless battle shirt, tied with what appeared to be a brown and green vine belt, and a brown with green trim battle pants with no sandals, and had rocky bands on his wrists. But it was fairly obvious this man wasn't human, as he had dirt brown fur covering his whole body, save for his face, his feet were hands like apes were, and his forearms were large enough to be gorillas' arms, and his eyes were golden yellow just like Somiesa's.

San, having witnessed this new sight before her, was nearly stunned by this as her curiosity and state of shock propelled for her to stand up. She then asked barely in a whisper, "Somiesa…?"

"Yes, my dear Princess Mononoke…" the human-turned Somiesa said as he looked to San, "You see me as I truly am. Spirit Kings have two halves to their existnace: Human and Beast. They are the symbol of the balance and harmony we keep between Man and Beast. For us, our Beast Forms are practically our most common form. But we don our human forms for special occasions."

"No, wiat!" Rukia begged, "Please, you can't! Alex istn.. !"

"Which is precisely why… I must do this," Somiesa answered as he looked at the boy, still struggling in his demon form. "My power is needed in order for him to gain control of this state he is now in."

"Wait!" the wolf girl asked as she took only one step, and asked in concern, "I don't understand. Why is Rukia so determined to stop this? Why is she worried?"

"Because now the boy's missing must begin… by taking my essence into his own, and protecting my life in the process." Somiesa sighed, knowing full well the Wolf Princess would not understand, and possibly go against this. "In order to do so… " he looked up to the boy who he and the others chose as their savior, "… he must collect the lives of all the Spirit Kings. Starting with mine."

* * *

**Hiding from a Distance**

* * *

During the carnage, Eboshi and her men had all hid behind the trees during this whole scene. They had arrived just as they saw the poor boy hop onto Okoto, and the whole thing playing out like a play of sorts. Jigo, who was hiding at this, sighed, "Gotta admit. This is one revolting spectacle, and a very sad opera story unfolding.'

"Can't be helped," Eboshi answered as she readied her rifle, "So far, Alexander and Takemaru did a fine job at distracting the wolves, and now we've got another Forest Spirit to kill."

Jigo nodded, but then gazed his attention as his brow began to sweat. Leaving the small island nestled in the pool, a small figure began to walk forward towards the water. Recognizing it, he smirked, "The Forest Spirit, Shisha-Gami," Jigo answered, catching Eboshi's attention, "It's him."

The Forest Spirit King then descended to the water, and walked along the surface of it. Immediately, Alex took notice of this, and in his demonic state, he roared out immensely, surprising everyone, including "Somiesa. "This isn't good," Somiesa said. "He feels threatened by Shisha-Gami's presence. He'll most likely try to attack him."

"Alex…" San weakly cried out, walking away from Rukia, and slowly walking towards Alex, as he pulled himself free.

"Princess, no…!" Rukia called out as she ran towards him, but was stopped by Somiesa, "Please, my lord! If she gets near him…"

"Let her be, Rukia," Somiesa said as he turned to look at the princess and warrior, "Sometimes… belief is more powerful than any curse or evil."

"Alex, I know you're in there," San pleaded as Alex growled and freed his arms. "Please…. Please, Alex… don't change…. Just stay the way that you were," finally, Alex freed himself as he crashed to the ground on his feet. He then slowly rose up as he stood almost twenty feet away from her. She then let out a sad smile, "Do you remember what you told me? About staying just the way that you are? That there was nothing wrong with just the way you are?" she then sniffed a bit, feeling like she was almost spent with her tears, "Well… now I understand what you meant by that. Because even now… I love you. I love you as a human… and as a half-demon."

The growling that came from Alex's throat had finally died down, almost as if San's words had reached him. But then, he slowly turned his attention to the figure walking on the water. The Forest Spirit King, Shisha Gami was halfway making his way to the shore. Then, the half-demon's roar erupted from his throat, and he charged towards the water, going past San. Her eyes nearly went wide with fright, 'No… not again!'

"ALEX!" San shouted, turning sharply, and quickly embraced the boy-turned-demon from behind. She wrapped her arms across his chest, and pressed herself on his back as she buried her face in it. Amazingly, this stopped Alex in his tracks, as well as silenced him. "I'm begging you, Alex…" the wolf girl said with a weakened and quivering voice, "I'll do anything; the forest, that gunwoman, we both made you this way…" Even though the armor had covered his whole body, she could still feel the warmth it gave off him. To her, this brought her much joy in knowing that he was still alive. "I don't know how but I'll make it up to you." she cried out to him as she went on, "That's… why… please, I beg of you… " her would started to bleed a little, but even if it was slow, she was weakening due to it. "Even… if you've changed physically…" she started to slip a bit, but allowed her tears to still go as her vision became a bit blurry, "… please let your heart remained unchanged."

And then, she slipped from consciousness, and was about to hit the ground. Until someone caught her in his arms. Alex, despite the rage and hatred coursing through his cursed body… he let it go and grabbed on to San. She weakly opened her eyes, and saw Alex; even though his face was armored, she saw it was him… for his left eye showed a glint to it, almost as if he was about to cry. "Alex…?" San asked. His features not even moving… until he brought her closer to him, and buried his face in her shoulder as she buried hers in his chest. "Alex?" San asked, "Are you gonna be okay?"

"…" the beast signed for a moment, until an answer came out, "I'm sorry…."

The Wolf Girl's eyes went wide with surprise by this turn of events. San then softly and gently cried a little, as she smiled, 'He's back. The old Alex that I knew is back…' she then wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same, as they slightly ignored the madness for the moment, just allowing them to return the warmth they shared from this. A warmth that was similar to when he had rescued her, and to when they had shared their first accidental kiss at this very pool.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.2**


	25. Hulk vs Abomination pt2

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.2**

* * *

**Back in the Forest**

* * *

The forest seemed quiet, and both sides seemed to forget that they were destroying each other. All that was noticeable was the two teenagers in a loving embrace. Both of different sides joining their hearts together; one realizing their feelings, while the other is still decisive on their. A fearless Princess of Beasts and Ghouls… in love with an outlander of the future, cursed as a half-demon warrior. However, despite their differences and the war between the destructive forces of man, and the Gods of the Forest… both man, beast, and spirits witnessed their love for one another.

"Are you nuts?" the young outlander spoke, even though his voice echoed with a deep monstrous tone. "Running at me back there? I could've ripped through you like you were tin foil."

San just stood there, being enveloped in Alex's embrace, as she smiled hearing his normal nonsensical banter. "But you didn't," she whispered softly as her tears stopped. "Like I said, you're not a killer."

As the two rejoiced with one another in this silent moment, they were pertaining an audience of the sorts. Rukia, Moro, even Somiesa and San's brothers, had taken witness to this miraculous sight. The Wolf Princess, by just speaking to him, had brought Alex's humanity, or rather his mind, back in control of his demon-possessed body. Rukia cupped her mouth, nearly in tears of joy as she whispered, "Princess…."

"I don't believe it," Moro whispered, "That human was able to pull himself back from the dark abyss the curse shoved him in."

"That's why in this case… you failed to stand your ground, Moro," Somiesa answered, his hulking huge Tree-Ape form still standing like it was frozen, while his Spirit Form looked to the Wolf God, "Belief is a strong acceptance by the mortal or immortal mind; it's often strengthened by spiritual senses of certainty…" He then smirked at the two teenaged humans, still holding each other, "… in their case, it's also emotional. Your daughter's love for the boy sparked what humanity is left within his soul." he looked back to the humans as he smirked, "Next to belief… Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Even more powerful than the combined powers of all the Spirit Kings put together."

It was then that Somiesa's Spirit Form walked towards the two, getting their undivided attention. The two just looked at Somiesa, speaking nothing and neither breaking apart from one another. As soon as he was five feet close to them, he stopped, and the Tree-Ape Spirit King smirked, "It's time, Alex. don't you think?"

Alex, who was silent for a moment, could only look at the Spirit King of the Forest. The Wolf girl looked confused by all this as she looked to Somiesa, and then back at Alex, as his left eye was closed in sharp thought. She wondered what they were talking about, 'What does he mean by, 'It is time'? what is he talking about?' she turned to look at the outlander boy she had given her heart to, and asked aloud, "Do you know what he's talking about?" he didn't answer, which made her worry about this as she asked again, "Alex? Please tell me. What does he mean?"

"He means I have to kill him now," Alex answered. "As well as the other Spirit Kings."

San's eyes widened with shock at this horrifying answer. She let go of the outlander, as she nearly stepped away from the boy, horrified at what he had just said. "I can't believe that…" the Wolf Princess whispered, barely able to believe this, "Alex… did you know of this? Were you planning to go through with it?"

The two were silent at that moment… until Alex finally answered, "Both answered to the question… are yes."

"And you were just going to go through with it?" San shouted, feeling betrayed. She then grabbed him by his shoulders, shaking him furiously as she screamed out, "You were on their side the whole time, weren't you?" she then shoved him away, without him making any chance to explain himself. She the glared at him viciously, her tears returning to her, this time feeling betrayed, "Just go away!"

Rukia, even though she was happy to see the Wolf Princess, was worried about this change of attitude. She didn't know the whole situation, 'Princess…'

"I hate you!" she shouted at the boy, "Do you hear me? I hate all you humans!"

"Princess, please…" Rukia stepped up, feeling like in Isaac's place, she had to be the peacemaker. "It's true; he is human… " he then sighed, giving in to the truth herself, "But you are as well."

"Stop it! I'm a wolf, you hear me?" she shouted, not wanting to go through this subject.

"Please, Princess Mononoke…" Somiesa finally answered as he then sighed as he brought San and Rukia's attention to the still silent Alex, "In order for this lad to save this world… he must accept the Spirit King's powers in order to bring them to Oto-hime, by collecting the lives of the Spirit Kings first."

"But why?" San finally asked, and looked to the boy she loved. Her anger gone and now replaced with confusion. "But I… I don't even know… I mean… why does he have to kill the Spirit Kings first?"

"If Hexxus, our Fallen brother, takes them first, he'll defile our essence, making it impossible for the Spirit Queen to resurrect us… our spirits lost forever in darkness."

"But … but that's just insane! I can't believe what I'm hearing!" San shouted, causing the others, minus her brothers, Moro, or Somiesa, to flinch, "Why did it have to be Alex? Why is it that he had to…"

"It's alright, San," the young outlander finally spoke out. "It's because I'm the obvious choice." Alex told her seriously now. "It's true that humans are capable of taking life, but Isaac told me that I was different. Even though I don't get it either. He and everyone else all claim I'm strong, fast, intelligent, and braver than even I think. But it takes a human, who does not seek to cause death… _that_ is a human that is worthy to hold onto the essence of the Spirit Kings to keep them purified of evil." he then shrugged, "Or so they keep telling me."

Somiesa then walked up to Alex, and took his right hand, "And now… you must hold on to my essence." he then smirked, "But don't worry: in return, I give you a portion of my power." catching the future outlander by surprise, he took the boy's hand, and rammed it through his chest. Without even gasping for pain, the Spirit Form of Somiesa just smirked, "I believe you can do this, Alex… as do the other Spirit Kings you meet…" In an instant, his body became swirls of energy as they shot through the young teen's body, nearly catching him off guard as he fell to his knees gasping for air. The leftover energy then swirled and shrunk right at Alex's knees, and transformed into a tiny light green bead. Suddenly, the Beast Form of Somiesa cracked and dulled in color, and finally, fell to the ground, reduced to dirt and mulch. The mighty Ape's body, becoming one with the Earth that he governed himself.

Alex, who was huffing and puffing from such an energy intake, whispered, "I won't… let you down…"

Suddenly, they all heard a deep sobbing coming from the other side of them. They all looked, and saw the two hunters, Saika and Sechs, standing at the ready. Unfortunately, Sechs was crying like a baby, blowing his nose and everything… completely unbecoming of a hunter that was dressed like he was. He finally sniffled a little as he looked to Saika, and blubbered, "Sorry… I'm just so moved by this scene," he then turned away as he sniffed again, "I'm just all choked up."

Saika's face just grimaced as she turned away, embarrassed just being near him as she grumbled, "It's embarrassing to have _you_ as a partner in crime…"

KA-BLAM!

A shot was heard from the whole area, causing everyone's attention to be turned to where it came from. They all saw the Eboshi woman with the rifle slung on her shoulder, and was freshly fired. They turned to look at where the bullet was flying, and met its target… through Shisha-Gami's head.

The wolf princess immediately bolted up, glaring daggers at Eboshi as she shouted, "Damn y…" she collapsed to her knees, clutching her side as she shut her eyes tight. She opened them once again to look at the wound that Alex had unintentionally inflicted on her. Her eyes then turned back to the slowly sinking form of Shisha-Gami.

Suddenly, the Spirit King's face rose up, and looked straight at San and Alex. And, surprising the Wolf Girl, the wound had completely healed up, and the Spirit King smiled. It then rose out of the water, almost as if it was walking up stairs, and began to walk on the water once again.

Jigo blinked a bit, looking confused at this scene. "That doesn't make any sense…" Jigo asked aloud, "That shot should've killed it."

"He's a Spirit King," Eboshi answered as she prepared for another shot, "It'll take more than one shot to kill him."

As soon as Shisha-Gami had reached the shore, he strode over towards the two human teens. And only twelve feet from them he stopped, and like Somiesa, his body too became aglow. Then suddenly, standing between the beast form of Shisha Gami and the two kids, was Shisha Gami's human spirit form, his true form. He was dressed in a white Chinese style male gown, with rigged shoulders, his hair was white and going down his back. He had a great bushy beard that went down in the middle of his chest. The red face remained, but this time it seemed to belong to a gentle kind old man, instead of the animal that was the deer.

The Spirit Form walked towards Alex and San, and he seemingly stopped, and smiled at the boy. "Young Alexander…" Shisha Gami responded in a voice similar to Avatar Roku (which is whom James Garnett voiced), "… this journey must have started harshly for you this past month."

"Not really," Alex groaned as he started to get up, San supporting him as he looked to her, "Some things… and some people… helped make it bearable."

"I know of why you're here, despite what the other Spirit Kings have done to keep this from me," Shisha-Gami answered as he smiled, "And I consent to entrust my spirit and essence to you, Young Avatar."

"Avatar?" the Wolf girl asked in deeper confusion than Alex looked in confusion.

"Yes, Princess Mononoke," Shisha Gami answered. "Unfortunately for our kind, there was only one, once upon a time. It was only with the previous Avatar that we were able to imprison Hexxus. And now it seems it is time once again to call upon his services once more."

Suddenly, they all heard a low roaring squeal from behind as they all turned. They saw Okoto's cursed form, slowly trotting his way towards them, the worms still slithering all over him. However, as he neared them, he was nearing close to the Forest Spirit King. As he did this, the worms on his body went from a blood red, to a disgusting black ooze now, and started losing most if its life as it slimed off his body.

Shisha Gami then smirked gently as he made his way to Okoto. As he did, the mighty blind boar god demon backed away slightly. However, Shisha-Gami did not stop, as he gently reached for the beast's nose, and lightly touched it. The God-Demon's eyes slowly went wide for a moment, and then gently closed. And then, letting gravity do the rest, the once mighty Okoto fell and crashed to his side dead. And then, surprisingly, so did Moro, as her form crashed gently to the earth as well.

"Mother!" San cried out seeing her mother die like that. Just then, she felt something lean at her, and saw Alex, falling to the earth as well. "Alex, no!" She immediately caught him, and held on to him for dear life. She suddenly paled as her eyes widened with horror, 'He's cold…' "No!" San shouted as she shook Alex, attempting to keep him awake, "Alex, please! Wake up!" her tears then returned as the wolf girl pleaded in sadness, "You can't leave me…!"

"I don't get it," Jigo asked himself as he raised an eyebrow, "The Spirit King just took their lives away."

"Do not fear, child," Shisha-Gami answered, causing the Wolf Princess's tears to stop as she looked to the Spirit King. "He is merely dying once, so that he will be reborn anew once he awakens." he then reassured her once more, "You must not fear or hate Death, Princess Mononoke. It is merely the beginning for others…" and smiled at the boy's still form, "… and the rebirth of some."

Then as the moonlight touched the forest below them, Shisha-Gami looked upward, as he allowed an aged smile to appear on his face. "It seems my time has come," the Deer Spirit King whispered. As the light touched his Beast Form, his body slowly became translucent and it started to enlarge and take shape into its alternate form: the Night Walker.

Jigo saw this as he smirked at this opportunity presented by them, "Alright, he's starting to change."

Eboshi knew this to be an advantage, and had her rifle at the ready. "Now watch closely, everyone," the Gun-Woman lectured Jigo's men, as well as Yashahime and her two cronies, "I'm going to show you how to kill a god. A god of life and death. The trick is not to fear them, or look them in the eye," and with that, she jumped from her hiding spot, and ran to get a better aim at the Spirit King.

Yashahime just smirked at this as she drew back, whispering, "Thanks for doing the dirty work for my master, you foolish gunwoman."

As Shisha-Gami's body began to change, Eboshi had made position to get a good shot at him. However, San spotted this and would have ran right at her with her dagger, close to decapitating her. But due to the wound on her side, it would be nigh impossible at this time. Not to mention she had to watch the still form of her true love on the ground at this time. So as soon as Eboshi took aim, San saw the machete blade on Alex's person. She immediately grabbed it, as Shisha-Gami's neck stretched upward and the spines on his back grew bigger.

Eboshi stooped as she took aim for the Spirit King's head. "No, stop!" the wolf princess shouted as she threw the machete at tremendous speed. But instead of striking Eboshi, it hit her rifle, and was now embedded into the rifle's front. The gun woman looked to the wolf girl, who still knelt at the outlander's side. "You can't kill him," San protested.

The mistress of Iron Town smirked at this as she taunted, "What's wrong, Wolf Girl? Unable to stand to kill me?" she then turned her attention as she took aim once again, "Least now you won't be charging in with your wolf clan to stop me this time."

"Eboshi," Shisha-Gami suddenly spoke out, nearly causing the gun woman to falter in her stand. "I know of why you are here…"

"Then you should know that you will die," Eboshi stated with confidence in her kill.

"Even so," the Spirit King of Life and Death replied, "I shall not die. You only kill an empty shell; we Spirit Kings are the life force of this world. We don't die as you mortals would like to think. If you shatter my corporeal form, my power will become more greater than you could possibly imagine." he then smirked as he finished, "For us Spirits… Death is merely just the start of a new beginning for us to live again, not the end for us."

Eboshi frowned at this; it was almost as if this Spirit King was just taunting her, making her lose her focus or nerve in this resolve. With no hint of hesitation, she yanked the machete out as she shouted, "You will die!" took aim with her rifle, and finally, fired at the beast's neck. When the bullet punched a huge gaping hole through his neck, the Spirit King's head blew right off as it thudded to the ground, and Shisha-Gami's Spirit Form disappeared like dust in the wind.

San witnessed this as she gasped in horror; the Spirit King, Shisha-Gami, had been killed. Rukia also saw this as she fell to her knees in despair, tears forming in her eyes as the hopelessness of this mission came to being. Jigo and the others, however, took this as a joyous occasion as he smirked, "Alright, she did it!" he then looked to his men with the iron casing, "Quickly! Go get the head!"

But as the men prepared to gather the severed head of the Forest Spirit King, they witnessed something ominous. When the King's head was severed from it's body, it began to bubble and turn black, as the elongated neck smooshed back into its body. A black ball of slime began to bubble or shed out of the body, growing in size and mass as it was close to popping. All anyone could do was watch in awe or horror as this happened. And then finally, it blew up, spewing slime all over the place.

Those who were there, ducked and dodged out of the way as the ooze touched the land and trees all around them. When they stopped to look, the slime turned the spots of land that it touched to ash and death as the green disappeared and only death showed. Jigo, Gonza, and the others that were running towards Eboshi ducked out of the way. Those who weren't lucky enough, were struck or engulfed by it. They wailed until they dropped the ground dead as doornails, as the ooze slithered off or died. When the slime touched the trees, they shriveled and turned black as coal. their death was evident as soon as the Kodama that were born of them, fell from the trees like snowflakes, their lives apparently snuffed out indefinitely.

One of the slime blots struck Takemaru, who was still trapped at this time. The slime was nearly digested or absorbed into the armor, making him gargle or arch in pain as he gagged out loud. The vines that held him died and shriveled up, allowing him to fall to the ground free as his convulsions became even more unbearable.

Eboshi ran through the slime, avoiding completely as she reached for Shisha-Gami's head. She immediately grabbed it, as she looked and spotted Jigo as she called out, "Quickly, Jigo! Get that box of yours."

Jigo and Gonza made their way to her as best they could, avoiding the deadly slime. "Hurry it up," Jigo barked, "All the porters are dead!" they made their way to her, but two of the men were unlucky, as they were struck with the slime that waved at them. They dropped dead to the ground as the box fell to the ground and the living ones scrambled to pick it up and hurry on out of there.

"Be careful not to touch the Spirit King's body," Eboshi warned them, "If you do, it'll suck the life right out of them." unknown to her, Moro's head, somehow severed from her body, sprung back to life as it looked at the Gun Woman. It sat up as it suddenly slithered right at her. The Gun Woman then lifted the head as she called out, "Here it is! One head as promised!" and threw it right at him.

Jigo ran for the head in order to catch it, but something was faster than he was. Jumping up and grabbing it before the monk did, was Takemaru as he landed on the ground. His voice growled deeply, almost inhumanly, like a lion's voice. His arms grew to lengthen and grew with muscle, with the shoulders stretching, nearly separating from the chest; the armor becoming sharper as the fingers transformed into black claws. The sharp points on his knees and ankles grew out into axe-sized blades, and the toes became that of claws as they sharpened and became hind legs. The fur mane on his left shoulder then switched over to his back, becoming longer and sharper than scales, becoming both a mane and a tail, with a mace like tip with blades instead of spikes. Takemaru's face was covered in the black ooze film as it began to stretch up a foot, armoring up as the face was covered in a jagged tooth armored face plate, with the mane stretching up on the head, and the same scar appearing on his left side. His body then grew up to nine feet, becoming a behemoth of an abomination of a creature. He then roared out inhumanly as the forest nearly shook enough to break from the ferocity of his appearance and voice.

Eboshi looked at the creature that was once Takemaru, completely oblivious to Moro's head shuffling towards her. But Gonza noticed it as he shouted, "Milady, watch out!"

But it was too late as she turned around; Moro pounced right at her as the head took a huge bite out of her. However, her arm was chomped off as she cried out in surprise more than pain. The head bounced off the ground, and fell into the ooze as Moro finally died that moment. Eboshi held the bloody stump that was her arm as she let a pained smile on her face appear. Gonza ran over to her side before she nearly passed out from the shock, "Milady!"

"I told you…" Eboshi weakly responded as she was close to passing out, "… a wolf's head… can still bite…"

"As do I!" Takemaru roared out as he looked down at Gonza, Eboshi, and Jigo, as the humans nearly paled at the monster that the samurai had become. He smirked through his armored and inhuman features as he bellowed, "My goal… is to be the strongest warrior! And to prove that, I must kill those who are considered my equals." he then looked over to where the Wolf Princess and the Outlander were. Through the confusion, the two, the fire spirit, and the two remaining wolves had swam over to Shisha-Gami's island. He then shouted at the island, "Wolf Princess!" San turned to the cursed human samurai as he demanded, "This boy wishes to bring the Forest and Man together…" he then raised the severed head of Shisha-Gami, and to the blob that was beginning to grow and take shape into a headless version of the Night Walker, "… without this, that blob will continue to grow and bring death to this valley. It'll continue to seek for its head!" he then cackled as he challenged, "If the outlander wakes up, tell him if he wishes to save this forest… and save the Humans… I'll be waiting for him in Iron Town!" and with that, he jumped out of there, with amazing strength and agility, until he was gone.

San saw the retreating form as she shouted, "Damn you, Demon!" she then looked back at the Gun Woman and her companions. The blob was about to engulf them unless they reached the island. More than anything, she wanted the gun woman dead, but then she remembered what the Spirit Kings wanted… and looked to Alex, knowing full well what he would have done as well. She sighed as she whispered, "Damn me for being a fool…" she then got up, and looked to Rukia as she asked, "Look after him," and ran off as she jumped into the water.

"Princess, wait!" Rukia shouted, "Where are you going?"

San swam as fast as she could, not even stopping for a hesitation at this time. As soon as she reached for shore, she scrambled towards the humans as fast as she could. Gonza and Jigo spotted her, thinking she was about to attack them, but she stopped as she stated, "C'mon, we have to get to the island!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Jigo started, being confused by this, "Just who's side are you on, anyway?"

"The side that wants us all to live," San answered as she grabbed Eboshi and helped balance her. "Now stop asking questions, and get to the island!"

Jigo looked at the wolf girl in question, and for a moment, noticed something in her eyes. It was the same foolish glint of hope that the outlander, Alex, had when he mentioned that he would find a way to lift the curse off of him, or when he was crazy enough to enter this forest. The monk then huffed as he let a small smile appear on his face, "Well then… let's go. Can't win against fools."

"Wait a minute!" Gonza shouted, "I can't swim!"

"Then walk along the bottom," Jigo shouted as he and San raced for the water, and jumped in. Gonza followed as well as he dived in the water, narrowing missing the black ooze racing on the surface. As soon as they were close enough, they emerged from the water, dragging Eboshi on to the shore.

The two injured wolves had witnessed their youngest sister helping the enemy. Kiba had probably understand why she did such a thing, and looked to the armored human. Ever since he had arrived, she had changed in some ways; her cold heart had softened when she had spent time with him. 'I guess love can do that to those who have it,' Kiba thought as he looked to Alex, and to his sister.

Tsume, on the other hand, wasn't as understanding. He slowly made his way to the humans, and stopped as he was close to his sister, as she tried to help the gun woman. "Give her to me, San," Tsume roared as he glared at the Iron Mistress, "I'll crunch her face off here and now!"

"No, don't!" San protested, "Our clan was avenged. Mother saw to it."

Tsume growled at this, attempting to want to snap at the gun woman once and for all. Despite what his younger sister told him, he was about to make his way to Eboshi, attempting to finish what their mother had started. That is until Kiba stepped in front of him, scolding, "Leave it be, Tsume. Our mother's death will be shamed if you attempt to do this."

San tore Eboshi's cloak as she began to make a tourniquet in order to stop the bleeding. Eboshi, before slipping into consciousness, shot out to the wolf girl painfully and weakly due to loss of blood, "Don't waste your sympathy…" and then cringed as she groaned from the makeshift tourniquet. Her brow dripped with sweat as the Mistress of Iron Town asked weakly, "Why are you… helping me?" she then cocked an eyebrow as her everso permanent smirk remained on her face, "Saving me for a meal later on?"

The Wolf Girl looked to Eboshi, almost threatening to tear her face off. "Don't waste your breath, Gun Woman," San spat out. "I'm not doing it because I want to…" she then sighed, allowing the vicious nature to ooze from her as she gently looked to Eboshi, almost pitying her, "… and besides… Alex would've done the same. Despite what you've done, he's still risking everything to save both sides."

A loud roar pierced the air, getting everyone's attention as they turned and saw the slime forming up together. The blob was quadrupling in size as it took the form of a blobbish man of sorts. The headless creature looked around, trying to find what was stolen from him: its head. As it moved, everything it touched died out as it began to slurge and slime its way around, heading out of the forest in a slow manner in order to find its missing head.

Rukia noticed this as well as she paled, "The Night Watcher. It's looking for its head." she turned to the Princess and everyone else as she stated, "We have to get it back."

"Are you nuts?" Jigo stated as the monk stood up, looking at the Fire Spirit as if she had lost her mind, "There's no way anyone's crazy enough to get that head back!" he then pointed to the giant headless Night Walker as he explained, "We just have to wait it out. Look at him; he's a brainless, swollen, blob of death! But at dawn, he'll disappear like a bad dream!"

"But Alex must take the essence of the Night Walker as well," Rukia answered, causing everyone to become confused by this. Rukia noticed this as she explained, "The Night Walker and Shisha-Gami are two separate beings that occupy the same body. As night turns to day and day turns to night, one takes over the other's form." she hten pointed out, "In order for Alex to officially contain the essence of Shisha-Gami, he needs to take the Night Walker's essence as well. But in order to do that…"

Suddenly, as Gonza held up Eboshi, they heard a loud thud, almost as if something jumped off the ground heavily. They tunred to look and saw a huge crater, but not so big, that they noticed footprints in them. San, who had taken her eyes off of Alex for a moment, had seen the footprints, and noticed the outlander's body missing. She then looked to where Iron Town was, and paled as she knew what was gonna happen. "Alex…"

* * *

**Next Chapter: Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.3**


	26. Hulk vs Abomination pt3

**

* * *

**

Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors

* * *

**Chapter 24: Saving Iron Town and the Forest; Hulk vs. Abomination pt.3**

* * *

**Iron Town**

* * *

On the hill island that was Iron Town, the dark night bathed it in both smoke clouds and stars brightly glowing, giving it some light. The lack of the moon couldn't flash illumination among the war torn fortress town. Wooden barrier walls covered with arrows and spears sticking into the wood. The ground, both dirt, rock, and sand were soaking in blood from either side. Samurai bodies from Lord Osano were littered on the ground, and hanging from the wooden pikes that protected the town's remaining occupants, who were all huddling together at this very moment.

The women and the lepers were all on the guard barriers, huddled together and preparing for the next attack from the samurai hordes. Some were sleeping from complete exhaustion; the battle had been a taxing one on them, both physically and mentally. They struggled to ready for the next battle, if it ever came at this time before dawn struck. They were all half asleep, but only one sound was made; the sound of a small hammer tapping onto metal. It was from a corner of the blockade, that there were two women still awake, and one, which was a leper, was fixing the rifle.

The woman who remained to keep an eye out, was none other than Toki. Sleeping beside her was Koroku, and he was snoring up a storm, despite his broken arm. After the leper had finished tapping, she looked to the rifle woman, handing her the rifle, "There, it shouldn't jam up like last time."

"Thanks," Toki gracefully thanked her comrade as she slung the rifle in position.

"It's been awfully quiet now."

"Don't let your guard down, Kuki," Toki advised as she checked the lock hammer mechanism on the rifle. "Osano's just waiting for sunrise. Think he'll have a better chance to attack us during the day."

As the two remained quiet for a moment, the leper woman sighed as she looked out at the field, eating a rice cracker. "That young man," she asked, getting Toki's attention. "Do you think he made in time to Lady Eboshi?"

Toki was surprised by that question, but then smirked. "Oh, don't worry about him. He found her," Toki answered in full confidence for the boy. "If anything, they'll be coming up that mountain, along with Milady and the men."

"But what about that fire spirit and the Beast that accompanied him," Kuki asked, albeit curious. "Wouldn't that mean he's with the Forest?"

"Maybe," Toki answered truthfully, her smile never leaving her face as she kept an eye out there. "But the look on his eyes pretty much told me everything."

"That would be… ?"

Toki turned to her friend as she answered, "That he's not taking any sides but his own. The side that makes sure everyone lives." Just then, she heard a light snore come from her right and noticed her husband, blissfully asleep. She groaned at this sight as she mumbled to her friend. "Big dope. don't ask me why I love him," she then lightly shook him as she tried to wake him up. "Hey, Koroku."

"Oh, let him sleep, Toki," her bandaged comrade chuckled.

But their happy moment was over with, as they heard a small rumbled from the distance of their town. Everyone within the town, the women and lepers, all turned to where they saw the small light that meant the sun would soon be rising. Even Osano's samurai, who waited on camps on the hill and mountain sides took witness on this. But it wasn't the slow sunrise that caught their attention, but what would soon block it. They saw a strange ooze like cloud, a huge sea of them, slowly making its way from the other side of the hill, nearly blocking out all the light. This made all those who witnessed this run their blood cold of fright. A loud anger filled roar shook the mountains, reverberating off of them as the citizens of Iron Town nearly wet themselves as the sky-piercing roar nearly shook the mountains again, as well as Iron Town's walls.

Koroku stumbled awake, as the inhuman roar awoke those who were asleep, startled and reaching for their rifles. Kuki readied her rifle as best she could, looking to Toki, who seemed pretty calm. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Toki answered calmly, but did her best to hide the fear in her throat. "But I don't like it."

As they saw the dark cloud reach and nearly blanket the landscape, they saw that the shadow of the cloud began to bring about it death. For when the shadow touched the forest, it began to slowly whither and die, as it turned brown and black and lifeless. The roar as well was becoming much louder, as they saw something small plow through the dead forest, leaving behind it a bloody trail of destruction, knocking down trees like they were dominos rooted to the ground.

The women and lepers nearly gasped as they heard the same blood-curdling roar come from the beast. "What the hell is that?" Toki asked as she slung her rifle over her shoulder.

As the samurai on the hills prepared to get away, the figure that had rummaged through the forest, suddenly shot up from it with tremendous power, and jumped right at the hills to where they were. The crash landing that the thing had made, shook the mountain, creating a shockwave of unimaginable strength, either crushing the samurai with the blast wave, shattering every bone in their body, or it sent them flying across the hills, falling to their deaths.

Then out of the smoke, they saw a huge creature shoot right out of the bellowed smoke, and running at high speed towards Iron Town.

"It's heading straight here!" one of the women shouted, causing a riot panic amongst them all.

"Calm down, everyone!" Toki shouted, getting their attention as she slung her rifle off her shoulder. "We promised Lady Eboshi we would defend Iron Town. We can't…" but suddenly, the roar had grown louder as they all looked above them, and saw that the creature was plummeting towards them at this point. The crashed impact that the beast had made once he crashed into the center of town, shook the fortress violently as everyone was thrown hard on their butts or fell to the ground, crashing hard enough to cause a bit of injury or two, but nothing serious.

The women all looked as the dust was starting to settle, but that wasn't important anymore. Slowly, a shape was appearing from the dust as it started to walk out. Suddenly, the women and lepers bear witness to the horrific creature that stood out of the dust clouds and the massive crater it created. It was a nine foot abomination of a creature covered in black ooze and black sharp and jagged armor. Its arms were long and muscle bound, with the shoulders stretched out, nearly separating from the chest, and the fingers were nothing but flexible black claws. The axe-size blades on its knees and ankles looked dangerous on its hind legs. The fur mane on its back was long and sharp as scales, stretching down as a tail with a mace-like tip with blades instead of spikes. The demon's face was covered in a jagged tooth armored face place, with the mane stretching up on the head, and a scar appearing on the left eye. The beast then roared out inhumanly as the forest nearly shook enough to break from the ferocity of his appearance and voice.

Rifles fired right at him, striking his armor as the beast cringed out, being pushed back. Toki, who was firing as well, shouted out to the women, "Keep firing! It'll take more than one shot to kill a demon!"

But as they shot him, they all soon came to realize the terrifying conclusion: the iron balls had no effect on the beast. They all simply dropped to the ground, clattering at his feet. Feeling fed up with this, the beast grabbed the nearest thing he could get. One of the trees that had yet to be burned that they chopped down, and threw it right at them. The people scattered, running scared as the tree came crashing down at them. The screams and scattering women ran, trying to take cover, as the beast ran at them, punching or smacking them around the fortress that trapped them all inside.

Toki and Kuki had taken cover as they were prepared to fire two more shots at the beast. "Go for the head," she advised. "Ready…" the two took careful aim, as the beast had its attention turned away from them. They fired two shots straight at him, nearing the back of his skull… and he suddenly turned around and caught the iron balls in his teeth. He smirked at seeing the shocked expressions on their faces as he crushed them in his mouth, and spat them out.

He was about to charge right at them, when all of a sudden, a loud shrieking roar pierced the land as well. The loud booming cry echoed over the semi ruins of Iron Town, gaining all the attention of both the women and lepers, the samurai that began to cower away from the battlefield, and the demonized form of what was still Takemaru. Takemaru turned around as he now had a visual look at the beast that had unleashed its enraged cry.

… standing at the edge of the other side of Iron Town, facing the forest, was none other than Alex. He was looking upward, roaring to the heavens, hoping to catch Takemaru's attention. When he stopped, he looked back down to earth, forward towards the demonic evil samurai turned monster.

Takemaru's lone eyes squinted into dangerously sharp slits as they peered at the outlander in front of him nearly at the end of the wall. His yellow jagged dagger toothed mouth stretched as it made a demonic smile at the boy, almost happy to see that the boy didn't cower away from their last encounter. He stretched his shoulders a bit, making cracking sounds as his attention was finally focused on the boy, whom was slowly stepping forward, balling up his fists tightly.

As Alex took three final steps, he stopped, hunched forward like a cat would when sensing danger, and made one last roar out. The bellowing voice almost echoed out a declaration of challenge to the samurai at this point.

Takemaru simply smirked as he let out one word escape his deformed and armored lips. "**ALEXANDER….**" and proceeded forward to the boy.

Alex spotted this as well as he continued his pace, until Takemaru smirked and began to jog towards him. The young time traveler saw this and proceeded to do the same. As they headed towards one another, their paces began to pick up, until they were running towards one another. Nearing blinding speed, the two half-demons were charging towards one another, until when they were twelve feet from each other, they pounced towards one another. Time nearly stopped as the two slowly were on the verge of tackling their opponent. Alex, at his usual size height, and Takemaru in his monstrous new height, closed in… until time returned again, and Takemaru, having the most power, was able to push back Alex as they finally slammed into each other.

The collision created a sort of shockwave that split in the center of town, carving a crater below the two as the wave then split between in a horizontal line, cracking towards the wall, and nearly shattering the sides. The women and lepers who occupied the town, were all racing from one angle to the other. However, Toki took charge as she ordered an immediate evacuation, but asked for those who could help to stay behind.

The two beasts were clawing at each other as the two finally crashed into the ground. Takemaru picked the boy up in his large grip, and tossed him into the main furnace of Iron Town. Alex's body crashed into the many support beams of the tower, but not toppling it down. He then slammed into one of the smelting pots, causing the contents to crash on the ground, setting the straw covered floor on fire. He finally scooted on the ground in a halt, flat on his back but still conscious. He started to get up, feeling groggy from the impact of his little tussle with the rogue samurai.

He groaned a bit, trying to right himself back into balance. "Ugh… he's a lot tougher… than I remember…" he rubbed the back of his neck to get the strain out.

A low disembodied chuckle came from the opening of the now ablaze Iron Town center home. He looked and saw the large form of Takemaru step inside and stop a few feet away from the door. He then chuckled in a taunting tone, as he stuck out his hand and curled his finger towards himself, taunting the young boy, "**C'mon, Boy. Surely this can't be all the strength that those foolish Spirit Kings have given you.**" and then to make the straw break the camel's back even more, he took from his side the severed head of Shisha Gami, and shook it around. "**Or did you forget what was at stake?**"

Alex snarled at the taunt, but knew deep down he wasn't at peak strength at this point. Whatever gift the other half of Shisha Gami, the Night Walker, needed to bestow on him, he had to make him whole again. But first he needed to beat Takemaru, 'C'mon, think, Alex. Think!' he looked around, and saw the empty cauldron of molten steel. He ran over to it, and immediately began to bash into it, making the iron entangle around his forearms and fists.

Takemaru began to make his way towards the boy, attempting to gut him in half. The young outlander had finished making his makeshift metal boxing gloves, which were oversized sheets of metal wrapped around his forearms and fists. Making sure they stayed on, he slammed the two fists together, making a bashing sound. As he brought his fists back, he snarled right at the cursed samurai, and charged right at him.

When he was in range, the cursed samurai attempted to take a swipe at the boy, but the outlander dodged it by a split hair. And as soon as he was in range, Alex swatted him hard, two times in the side, and finally straight into the ground; the very impact of such strength hitting the floor nearly shook the building to almost come crumbling down. As soon as Takemaru on the gorund, the young outlander continued to smack and punch at him, breaking the steel armor gloves off as he continued to pound him inot the ground, creating a massive crater.

As soon as he looked done, Alex grabbed the samurai by the armor collar, and gave him one final right hook to the face. After shaking it off, Takemaru spat out some blood, and glared at the boy, taunting, "**IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?**"

Alex was about to punch him once more in the face, but Takemaru had kicked him out of the Iron Works like a cannon ball being shot out at high velocity. He crashed into one of the huts at high speed, shattering it and having it fall on him, burying him in hay and wood. The cursed samurai shot out of the rooftop and stood on the burning roof of the Iron Works, looking for where his prey was hiding at now.

Going unnoticed, Toki, Koroku, and a few of the women stayed positioning themselves in key points. They all had their rifles at the ready as they took careful aim, while Toki ordered, "Alright, give him some help."

"Um… which one?" Koroku asked.

"Help Alex! Who do you think?" Toki blasted out as she pointed to the creature that was once Takemaru. "_That's_ the one we're gonna cut in half!"

Without arguing about it, the women all took fire on the beast, hitting it directly on target. But the iron balls just bounced off his massive body, however it irritated him immensely. He turned to look at the women shooting at him as he growled, "**STAY OUT OF THIS!**" and then hopped on all four limbs, charging at the women like a wild animal, charging towards them.

He was closing in towards them, and was about to pounce at them all… Suddenly, two golden metallic vines shot out, wrapping around Takemaru's shoulders. Alex stood back on the roof, half of his faceplate broken off, but still revealed to be covered by the black ooze film. And connected into his back being held by his hands, the same vines were coming from. Truly this was the gift that Somiesa had granted the young outlander. And it would also perhaps be an irreplaceable weapon and tool to use against such an opponent before him… and possibly in the future.

And with a mighty tug, Alex pulled back the cursed samurai from going after Toki and the others. However, the young outlander had pulled him too hard, as he was coming in fast into him. The impact had caused the two to go crashing through the roof and back into the Iron Works. The two crashed onto the floor as they both groaned and got up, now completely focused on one another, instead of the flaming surroundings that they were currently occupying.

As the place burned and started to fall apart around them. They looked at each other and snarled, as they once again charged at one another, and crashed into each other, nearly shaking the whole building. Alex climbed up on Takemaru's back, as the cursed Samurai tried to shake him off. He did so by slamming into the flaming pillars, trying and hoping to hit the boy. But no such luck; Alex was holding on to dear life, and he did so by slamming his right hand on the samurai's back, and digging his fingers to where his spine, hoping to at least break a part of the column.

Takemaru growled in pain as he attempted to do so, but ignored it at this time with low growls. He balled up his massive right fist, and reached back, punching Alex hard repeatedly. But as he did so, he continued to stumble back and forth as he slammed in more of the walls, causing the building to go down even more.

Outside, Toki was getting everyone out of Iron Town before it was too late. "Everybody! Head for the Main Gate," she ordered the huddling crowd as best she could. "When you get out, head for the river! It'll be the only safe place from the fire!"

"But, Toki," Koroku stated, feeling slightly worried. "We've got to save the Iron Works. If it blows up, it'll be the end of Iron Town."

"Then let it blow!" Toki shouted, startling her husband a bit. Realizing she had lost her cool, her demeanor calmed down as she gave Koroku a gentle smile, the same one that caught his attention and asked him to marry her. "We can rebuild this place; but the lives here can't be. As long as we live, Iron Town'll live too."

But then suddenly, a huge explosion from the iron works suddenly, blew out, shooting a huge fireball at the main gate. Suddenly, without warning, it crashed into the walls, destroying it, nearly killing lives, and closing up the pathway. The remaining citizens that didn't get out, along with Toki and Koroku. The couple stared in freaking out but in a calm way, except for Koroku who was shaking in his cast.

Toki gulped as she sighed, "Guess we're not getting out this way."

The Iron Works building suddenly exploded, the fires reaching the oil and molten iron. Fire and wood erupted all over, but the townspeople managed to dodge it just in time. Debris showered over them as they heard a thud not too far from them. The citizens looked up from their hiding places as they saw the outlander had been shot out of the burning Iron Works, probably a twist of fate of sorts.

Suddenly, they heard a howling sound from behind them as they saw a huge object hoping over them. It landed on the ground in front of them as they got a good look at what it was. To their fright, it was one of Moro's wolf cubs, Kiba, and on his back, a familiar wolf Princess was on top of him. San immediately looked and saw where Alex was, lying face into the ground. She feared the worst as this point in time… until he slowly got up.

As he got to his feet, San's smile slowly showed as she hopped off Kiba. She stood there as he slowly walk to her as she whispered, "Thank the Gods…" he stumbled towards her, a few portions of his armor covered in soot and a little smoky in some areas. "Alex… " she whispered as she took only one step towards him.

And that's when it happened. Something erupted from the ruins of the Iron Works as everyone, San, and Alex looked to see a small portion of the Iron Works erupted upward as an object shot out and stood with the ruins behind him. It was Takemaru, still alive, and super pissed off at the outlander, as he glared daggers at the boy. His mane's sharp points flexing and shaking like the tip of a rattlesnake's tail. His glare intensified as he looked at the young outlander and charged right at him.

Alex snarled as he charged forward, but was pushed back, but he kept his foothold. The two struggled with each other's strength, as the young outlander and the samurai looked at each other eye-to-eye. "**YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS POWER**!" Takemaru snarled as he was about to gain the upper hand in his strength. Suddenly, his maw stretched out, with enlarged sharp teeth growing as he snarled, "**AND AFTER I'M DONE BEATING YOU UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT… YOU CAN WATCH **_**HER**_** DIE!**" He then lunged and bit the outlander in the right shoulder, causing Alex to shout out in immense pain as Takemaru began to gnaw at it.

"Alex!" the wolf girl shouted. She pulled out her dagger, and charged forward to the demon samurai. "Let him go, you demon!" but when she reached to him to take a swipe, he swatted her away like she was nothing. She skidded to the ground, nearly unconscious.

"San!" Kiba snarled as he charged forward. However, Takemaru shot his tail out, stabbing it nowhere near a vital area. Kiba howled in pain as he was thrown back.

As this happened, Alex saw this, even as Takemaru tried to eat his arm off, saw the whole thing. Both friends, especially one that meant more to him than just a friend, were hurt because of this fight. Suddenly, something inside him grew… something powerful. Suddenly, Alex grabbed Takemaru by his jaw points, and began to push him back. Seeing this happen to him, Takemaru grabbed the boy by the shoulders, and attempted to try and push him off. But to the samurai's shock, it was to no avail. The boy's strength, surprising Takemaru, was vastly growing at this point. There was no contest: the boy was winning. But before Takemaru could gain some advantage, Alex gave him a massive kick in the chest, causing him to step back, as the boy ran towards him.

He ran behind him, the vines shooting out of his back, and wrapping around the samurai's neck. Alex hopped onto his back as his opponent tried to fight back. But then all Alex had to do, was tighten the vines, brining about pressure, choking the life out of Takemaru. The samurai's eyes were nearing red, indicating oxygen was being cut off. Seeing this, Alex became excited with satisfaction as his half-armored smirk popped up on his face, and he roared aloud like an animal.

"STOOOOP!"

Alex stopped as he looked to his side… and saw San, back on her feet, and looked at him pleadingly. This caused Alex to return to his senses, as his hold on the vines loosened, and Takemaru collapsed on to the ground. The townspeople of Iron Town, some a bit skittish as they held hteir rifles at the ready. Kiba, sitting up and trying to right himself from the bleeding spot on his side, looked at this scene. Suddenly, as if a crowd was forming, Isaac popped up, in his beast form, along with Rukia in her human form on top of Tsume.

As the whole crowd watched over this, Alex looked down on Takemaru's still from, he noticed he was trying to get up. However, Alex stomped his foot on him, making sure that he would stay down. As he made sure, Alex grabbed at the armor faceplate on his face, and tore it off, leaving nothing but the black ooze film on his head. He then grabbed the film, as he revealed his real human face; his hair, still a lighter color and a little longer, and the same black and yellow eyes with the same horned tusk tattoos underneath his eyes.

He took one look down at Takemaru, and then huffed as he looked up. And then, he let out a huge roar, that nearly shook the whole town as he claimed this victory. The roar echoing across the mountains at this triumph. The townspeople, beasts, spirits and princess all watched as this battle had finally come to an end. The Hulk had beaten down this beastly abomination.

Alex stepped down from the beast, as Takemaru had finally passed out from exhaustion. He sighed to himself as he rubbed his head, groaning, "I'm really… gonna need a vacation after all this."

Suddenly, San ran up to him and embraced him lovingly, burying her face into his chest as she did so. Alex, for one, was surprised by this display. But before he could ask what reason for this, he heard her muffled voice. "Stupid!" she muttered. "You're so stupid, Alex!"

After hearing such worry, it only caused Alex to smile a little, knowing she was worried about him. He gently returned the hug, with his bleeding right arm. As he held her, she looked up to him, both their eyes glistened for a moment, as the two nuzzled each other, cheek to cheek. And when they stopped, Alex smirked as he simply replied, "You know… I think I like how wolves kiss."

San just let a small giggle escape her throat as she looked up into the eyes of the human boy she had fallen for. "True," she replied as she leaned up and whispered to him. "But I like how humans do it much better."

"Ahem," a voice called out to them as they turned to look, and saw Isaac walk towards them. "I hate to ruin a pretty good romantic scene here. But in case you've forgotten, there's a huge swirling blob of death stomping on over here. I suggest you give him back his head."

The two broke apart for a moment, but didn't back away from one another. Alex looked back to Takemaru, and ran towards him, leaving the others confused. He reached down and found what he was looking for. He then turned around, holding Shisha Gami's severed head as he fastened it to his belt now. "C'mon," he smirked to the others confident. "We've got something to return."

* * *

**Next Chapter: the Journey back to Home; A Thorny Rose**


	27. To N'jata

**I wish to make a deep apology to one N'jata for copying his story in order to write this one. I didn't mean no insult, and I was going to try and contact you to ask if I could use your story plot. I know you sent me an email to ask you, but it never got through from your message. That's what I hate most about emails and on this website: you can't send your writer's address on it. **

**Well, anyway, I wish to apologize, and ask if I can still use it for this one. Until I have a reply on such, I shall not update this story. And, if you find my actions shameful, I shall delete this story on the spot. **


	28. A Little Thorny Problem pt1

**Author's Note: After your letters, I thank you for giving me this chance. And for N'jata, thank you for letting me continue this story, as half the credit for the creation goes to you. Well, I think most of the creation of this story goes to you. And as for your request, and after much careful consideration: Yes, I shall help you finish your story.**

* * *

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 26: the Journey back to Home; A Littel Thorny Problem pt. 1**

* * *

**Outside**

* * *

**Far in the Hills**

* * *

The defeat of Takemaru was mainly a short one, and it was dealt with swiftly. For now, there was another problem heading over on the horizons. The headless body of the Night Walker, was slowly but surely making its way towards the half-demolished and slightly on fire Iron Town. As it started to tumble and stumble onward to its destination, the protrusions on its body began to stretch outward to the sky and back down again. The spears and globs of the black ooze crashed and punctured the forest and earth as the giant beast continued to lumber on to its pointless destination. And the tendrils and globs that stretched onto the land and washed it in a sea of slime, began to drain the life out of the land that it bathed it in. Plants, animals, or some of the samurai that tried to flee the scene, it mattered not; anyone or anything that got engulfed in the tsunami of sludge, died and withered into ash. Truly, this was the vengeance of the Darker Half of Shisha Gami.

Jumping across from the distance, making their way to the heart of the sludge beast on the safe ground, Alex and Isaac charged on forward. The half-demon youth rode atop the transformed fox-squirrel, going as fast as they could to make it there in time. Isaac rode as hard and fast as he could in his gargantuan form, and Alex held on as he could to the beast's fur. While in his other hand, he held the severed head of the Forest Spirit King himself.

Alex looked over on the mountain's horizon and saw that the sky was slowly but surely lighting up. The sky going from black to blue in a slow manner meant one thing: the sun was about to rise up. He had heard from San that Shisha Gami transformed into the Night Walker whenever the sun set in the horizon, and when dawn approached, he would revert back into his deer form. However, with Shisha Gami in this state, a feeling of dread washed over Alex's mind and body as the terrifying question came to mind.

"Isaac?" the young lad asked his large furry companion as they kept on going. "If Shisha Gami doesn't get his head back before the sun… what's gonna happen to him?"

The furry beast kept his eyes forward, but didn't ignore the young outlander at all. He then answered, "Well considering Shisha Gami's current condition, he's nothing more than a swollen brain-dead blob of death." he then jumped over a large rock as they boht landed on the other side, still trying to make time to get there as he went on. "And when the sun rises up, he'll disappear like a bad dream."

"Well, we'd better hurry before sunrise then," Alex insisted as he got a good look at the target head on.

They were very close to getting to the giant blob that was once Shisha Gami's body, but only about a mile left. However, there was a huge obstacle as they saw the Sea of Black Slime before them. "We'd better be careful and not touch the Night Walker's Body," Isaac warned Alex as he hopped onto a patch of land untouched by the slime, and hopped to another spot before it was engulfed, "If we do, then we'll share the same fate as those men back at the Pool."

"Yeah, I know," Alex shouted as he held on to his friend.

The duo jumped from land grass to any large rocks that were nearby that wasn't engulfed by the slime. And every time they jumped away, they nearly dodged getting swallowed up by the sludge that nearly took their lives. It was a daring assault that they were doing in order to reach the headless body of the Night Walker, while trying to stay alive. As they were getting close, the Night Walker suddenly turend in their direction, almost sensing the two assailants heading towards him.

Alex took noticed of this as he gulped, "I think he just spotted us." And that was made even more evident as the giant drew back its massive left arm. And like a cannon, it shot its fist directly at them at colossus speed. "I hate it when I'm right!" the young outlander shouted as he drew in close to Isaac as they prepared for the worst.

When the fist connected to the ground, it erupted into a tsunami-like geyser that shot everywhere in their area. The massive fox-squirrel managed to jump high in the air to avoid the blasting ooze. However, he suddenly realized his margarine mistake as the two looked down at their location.

"Oh dear," Isaac gulped as he and Alex got a gander down below to their footing. "We've run out of ground," he finished as it was made evident.

All the areas for them to land in were all encompassed in the black slime. There was nowhere for them to land safely on. Isaac transformed into his default form as he jumped on to Alex's right shoulder, huddling himself on the young lad's shoulder. "I guess this is it," the little fox-squirrel spirit guardian whimpered to his human companion.

Alex, completely freaked out of his mind, turned to his furry companion. However, his fear diminished as he sadly smirked, responding, "See you on the other side, Isaac."

And with that, the two looked down at the black ooze as they hurdled downward, and screamed out comically to their doom.

SWOOSH!

A fiery blaze zoomed out of nowhere, and scooped the two up in its arms. As the two awaited the upcoming death, they both noticed that the wind was blowing against them instead of under them. Once they opened their eyes, the duo noticed that instead of falling down into the sludge, they were flying above the surface, at high speed no doubt. The two immediately looked up, and saw someone holding onto Alex' right hand… it was San, being carried by a transformed Rukia.

The two lit up, as they shouted, "San! Rukia!"

"You two are hopeless without any girls helping you," the Wolf Princess chirped out, smiling at the satisfaction of the situation.

Alex smirked at this as he commented, "Well, I'm thankful for flying Fire Spirit Airlines, as of this moment."

The wolf princess's smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown of confusion. "Airlines?"

The young outlander sighed as he half-smirked, "I'll tell you when we live through this."

"I… I can't hold on for much longer," Rukia said in a strained voice. In truth, she had never carried two people at the same time, and it was proving difficult as she was losing altitude. "we need to land! Fast!"

They looked around, and saw a boulder big enough for the four of them. It was the only spot that hadn't been consumed by the sludge, and they wasted no time getting there. However, the fire spirit was coming in too low and too fast, as they were barely at a frog's breath away from crashing into the black ooze. And just when it looked like they would plummet into the sludge, they crashed onto the rock like a plane would on a flat top mountain. Alex nearly fell over the edge of the rock, but stopped himself just in time. However, the head of Shisha Gami suddenly broke free of his belt, and plopped into the Sea of Black Ooze.

"No!" the young outlander shouted as he shot his right hand into the sludge, desperately fishing it out. However, as he did this, he felt the sludge was being digested or absorbed into his arm armor, making him gag out in pain. He gritted his teeth as his arm was in convulsions, being exposed to this kind of cursed sludge.

Just then, another hand shot in with his, and he heard a female's voice gasp and groan. He turned to find San, gritting her teeth and her face shown to look in concentrated agony than in wreathing pain. He looked to her, in worry, as he asked, "San! What are you doing!?!"

"You've taken all this pain for all of us," San answered, her voice straining in trying to deal iwht the pain. "It's time I helped you bear it!"

Then finally, after much fishing around in it, the two pulled out the severed head of the Spirit King. The two held it up, as it dripped with the black ooze, as they attempted to offer it to the headless Night Walker. But as they did so, Alex took notice of the affects the black ooze had done to them both. For San, she nearly convulsed in pain as her left arm was becoming a bruised purple with dark veins traveling down her arm and to her shoulder. Her fingernails turned black and sharp as claws as they nearly pierced the flesh of the severed head. The dark veins and purple flesh began to creep up to her neck and under her eye, as she opened it to reveal it to be yellow, like a wolf's. she gasped in shock at this as she turned to look at the young outlander.

Alex's transformation wasn't as reserved as hers was. The black ooze film once again encompassed his whole head again, with his orange hair spiking out and solidifying into steely sharp blade spikes, the golden armor then encompassed his face and head, making the same humanoid boar face plate and jaw. But this time, his right arm was going further in transformation; the two spikes began to stretch out and lengthen, and somewhat appear to look like they were popping out of vents. The fingers were beginning to become more claw like, and his bicep and shoulder were matching up in length with his three times sized forearm. The shoulder pad grew out black ooze hardened spikes and the golden horn that connected his shoulder to his chest, stretched out and stuck out from behind now.

Before their transformations could go any further, Alex looked up to notice that dawn was fast approaching, and had to make this fast as possible. He looked up to the Night Walker, and shouted in his demonic disembodied voice, "**SHISHA GAMI!!! WE GIVE YOU BACK YOUR HEAD! TAKE IT, AND BE AT PEACE!!!**"

Then suddenly, the Night Walker stopped in its tracks from reaching Iron Town. It slowly turned around, almost facing the four, as its shoulders slumped in a way that made it look like it was looking directly at them. Isaac and Rukia, whom had rejoined the two after recovering, were by the couple's side. Isaac, being the first one to speak, squeaked out in nervous nature, "Well, uh… I think you got his attention."

The giant Night Walker leaned downward, shading the four as it reached down to the ground with its hands. The giant over towered them all at this point; next to the Night Walker, the four were nothing more than four tiny pieces of cuscus. It then sludged down upon them slowly but fast, as it looked like it would soon devour them all. The four huddled together, and Alex wrapped his left arm around San, holding her close to him as this happened.

Finally, encompassed them all, as the sludge neck covered them. But as it did, the sludge turned from black oozy color, to a golden light color. Inside the sludge, the four were being bombarded by bright light and strong winds instead of a gooey sludge-encompassing tidal wave. The golden light then spread across the Night Walker's body as fast as it could, until finally, it disappeared and transformed the black ooze into its usual translucent bluish tint. Its back spines were stretching back out, and as it lifted up, the sludgy neck transformed back into the Night Walker's head. The four heroes had done it, they had restored the Spirit King's head, and once again made it whole and at peace.

* * *

**Back in Iron Town**

* * *

The women and lepers had all made it to the river, where the Black Ooze couldn't reach. They watched as they evacuated, the black ooze or what remains of it, had blanketed all of Iron Town. The ruins of it were dripping and overflowing with the black stuff. Their home had all come to ruin, all for the goal of obtaining the creature's head. But they were all thankful to have escaped with their lives. And as such, they were witnesses to what had transpired up on the hills and mountains. They had witnessed the outlander and the Wolf Princess returning the head to its rival owner, thereby saving them all from oblivion.

Toki and Koroku were among the survivors as they saw this. "Well, I think it's over," he told himself as he sighed with relief, cradling his broken arm.

"Yeah," Toki nodded as she looked to her husband in a smile. "All thanks to those kids."

"_Hello!"_

Just then, they all heard distant shouting from down the river as they looked. There, floating about a few yards away from them, Shizu, Jigo, Gonza, and the rest of the men, were all coming down there on four makeshift rafts. With them, a few of the men were tending to Lady Eboshi's injury. The women and lepers were overjoyed as one of them shouted, "It's the men!"

"The men are back!"

As the men traversed their way to the women and lepers, the men all shouted in glee and to get their attention. It had been a horrendous experience for them all back in those mountains. And they were all glad just to get back, as one of them commented, "I can't believe we made it back! I never thought I'd live to see home again!"

"I never thought I'd see my wife again, either," one of the younger men smirked. "I can't wait to hold her again in my arms!"

"It's a shame though," one of his friends joked. "If you left her behind, I would've been the one to comfort her!"

That earned a playful punch in the arm, as the men all rejoiced to be back home again. Even though it was in ruins, it was still their home. When they got to them, the women immediately ran up to her. "Milday!" they all shouted as a few of them rushed to her aid.

Toki was the first to notice the missing arm; she looked to Gonza in shock as she asked, "What happened?"

"Her ladyship was injured," Gonza simply answered, not giving all the details. "The Wolf Princess saw to her recovery."

"She did?" Toki was surprised as ever to hear that the former enemy of Iron Town had saved their ladyship. She turned and looked to the hill, picturing Alex and the Wolf Girl together saving them all, and smirked, "When she pops up again, I'll have to thank her to a glass of sake."

But that all would have to wait, as all the parties saw the Night Walker formed up again. As it did so, it turned to look at the horizon, and saw the golden rays of the sun rising out from it. Daybreak was now upon them, and the Night Walker was whole once again. But something happened that no one expected to happen: it immediately sucked up all the remaining black ooze into its body, almost purifying it. And after all of it was gone, it suddenly toppled over, falling to the ground, as if it had immediately been dealt a fatal blow. And it was directly falling over to the black oozed and still on fire Iron Town.

"Look!" one of the men shouted, getting everyone's attention. "It's falling towards Iron Town!"

"Everybody," Jigo shouted. "Huddle together, hold on tight, and don't let go! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" everyone immediately did as they were told. They all huddled together, holding on to one another as best they could to await the incoming blast or tidal wave to come.

All of the citizens of Iron Town gazed at this scene, as the body fell down towards Iron Town. When it connected to the ruined city, its massive body exploded in waves of air, blowing away all the debris from the sight. The black ooze, the bodies of Osano's men, every last sign of the struggle in the city just disappeared like a flood washing away anything in its path. It struck at the citizens, but didn't blow them away or hurt them at any kind at all. It was like they were stones that the air just flowed around. The winds even blew away the sludge from the city and put out the fires, blowing it and all the debris straight out of the valley. Then finally, the wind died down, leaving nothing but Iron Town and its people all in silence.

As the citizens all looked in amazement by this transpiration, they came to notice the land all around them. For only what felt like two minutes, something wondrous and amazing happened before them all. On the barren hills that they chopped all the trees down, and even the ones that were poisoned by the black ooze, a miracle occurred before them all. The hills, mountains, and shores, all started to become alive again, as fresh green grass grew from the dead earth. Seedlings sprouted out from the ground, and suddenly grew to great heights into towering fine trees that nearly blanketed the hills and mountains. The dead trees became encompassed in small vines, and soon merged into larger ones that sprouted out leaves and flowers of all kinds. But it didn't stop there, as the remnants of Iron Town soon became engulfed in green grass and vines blanketing the walls as well as some of the buildings as well. And in the center of town, a mighty tree sprouted from the ground, stretching up to about twenty-five feet in height. Its branches stretched out and grew leaves, becoming an umbrella to shade half the town in, and flowers and fruits growing from it as well, making it a veritable Tree of Life as it were. It seemed that the gust of wind somehow carried the essence of the Spirit King, Shisha Gami, and once again restored life to the hills and mountains once again.

"Huh," Koroku gawked in awe, as did everyone else at this miraculous event. "I didn't know the Spirit King could make the flowers grow." he reached to his head with his broken hand out of the sling, and scratched in confusion. Suddenly, he realized an obvious fact as he drew his broken arm back and looked at it. He flexed it and moved it around as he smiled in astonishment, and shouted, getting everyone's attention. "My arm… IT'S HEALED!!!"

After hearing that Toki turned to the leper, Kuki, and was amazed as she pointed out, "Kuki! Your face!"

The leper looked into the water, to see what her friend was in shock about. And what she saw was that the bandages on her face had come off… to reveal healthy skin on her face, as well as the rest of her body. The other lepers, including Osa, had all been cured of their lepersy indefinitely. They all rejoiced by this as they cheered on in happiness at one another.

Eboshi, who had finally woken up, had witnessed it all. The land, her lepers, and everything that transpired from the night and this dawn. And then her smirk returned as she placed her hand on the area to where her arm used to be. But this wasn't her trademark sneaky smirk that she usually flaunted around… this was an honest smile as she looked at the river, whispering, "Amazing. Not only did Alexander, but the Wolf Clan and that crazy little Wolf Girl helped save us all." she looked around and asked Gonza, "Gonza, where's Alexander? I need to speak with him."

"I'm not sure," Gonza honestly answered his mistress. "He disappeared right before we got you out of the Spirit King's pool."

"Well, if you find him, tell him I need to thank him," she smiled as she explained. "We're going to start all over again. This time, we'll build a better town."

* * *

**Back on the Hills**

* * *

The once dead and barren hills that the four heroes had traversed to reach Shisha Gami was now alive again with green grass, flowers, and trees. Both Tsume and Kiba were sitting on the rock that the four were on, along with Rukia who sat next to Kiba. Isaac was on the ground, nudging someone from a well-induced slumber. It was Alex, the armor gone as he laid by his side, holding San close to him tightly; the wolf princess asleep and snuggled her face deep within the boy's chest.

Finally, after Isaac hopped onto him, he tickled the boy's face with his tail, "Tickle, tickle."

Alex stirred awake, swatting away the annoyance that tickled his face. He groaned a little bit as he looked to see Isaac, "Morning."

"You too, boyo," the little fox-squirrel smirked.

As the boy got up, he was astonished by what he saw all around them. Immediately, he gently shook San as he tried to wake her up, "San, wake up. You've gotta see this."

San slowly but surely woke up, as her eyes opened in a drowsy state. As she slowly woke up and looked up, the first ting she saw was Alex. She gave him a rather bedside mannered smile as she whispered to him, "Good morn…" but stopped as she looked all around them.

The two humans stood up to grass that reached to their knees. They saw all around them, the green earth once restored to life again. In complete awe at this, they both ran to the Cliffside, with Isaac on the young outlander's shoulder, and Rukia following after them. They stopped as they now had a great view of what they were looking at. All the mountains, the ones that were once covered in death and blood, was now flourishing with life once again.

To the Wolf Princess, this was a joyous occasion; her home had been restored once again. But, her face became saddened at two realizations. Alex saw how dour she was, and asked in concern, "San, what's wrong?"

"My mother. I know that she had found peace, but…," she tried to finish, but she shook her head as she changed to the other subject, "It's just that even if all the trees and beasts return, it won't be Someisa's forest anymore. Nor his." the Wolf Girl sighed as her eyes conveyed sadness once again. "The Spirit King, Shisha Gami's dead now. As is Somiesa."

"No, they're not, San," the young outlander answered, getting the wolf princess's undivided attention. "Don't forget, the Spirit Kings are life itself. And they're here right now, telling us something." He lifted his right hand, and saw the curse bracelet, still there and alive. But that wasn't what he meant as he opened his closed fist. In his hands were the light green tear bead, along with a white one and a black one; the new beads representing Shisha Gami's essence. "They're saying that it's best to live and let live. To move on with our lives."

When San took a glimpse of Alex's wrist, she noticed the band was still on there. She looked to him, in worry and pity for him, as she tried to comfort him. "Alex, I… I'm sorry…"

The young outlander didn't know what she was talking about, until he saw the band. He smirked as he reassured her, "It's alright. I'll get used to it. But it's weird now; it's almost as if… all of Nago's rage is gone; like Shisha Gami just washed it away."

After a while, the three teenagers and beasts were all about to go their separate ways at this moment. San and Rukia were with Tsume and Kiba as they were about to go to the forest. And Alex stood by with Isaac, now in his big beast form; the young outlander standing by the Fox-Squirrel's side, scratching him from behind his ears. But for both San and Alex, it was sort of an uneasy goodbye for them both. Especially San who was the only one aware of their feelings for one another, despite the young outlander time traveler being a bit of a dense head when it came to this.

San sighed as she looked to the young lad in the eyes, her expression of pained sadness. However, she didn't shed tears as she spoke to him softly, "Alex, you mean so much to me." she lowered her gaze from him as she finished, "But… but I just can't forgive the humans for what they've done." she then whispered, "If I could, then maybe, I might be able to stay…"

"Hey, it's alright," Alex answered as he reached up to her and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. He smiled as he replied, "You've got a big responsibility now being the heir to the Wolf Clan. The forest'll need you now more than ever." he then lit up as he concluded, "You'll live in the forest, and I'll stay in Iron Town for a while, helping them rebuild it." that earned a look of concern from San as the young outlander reassured, "Don't worry, I won't let them chop down anymore trees." he then pulled back his hand as he replied, "Whether it's in the forest, Iron Town, or back in my home, I'll always be near. Isaac will make sure of that; we'll come and visit any time soon, okay?"

The Wolf Princess smiled at that gesture, and nodded, "I'd like that." And with that, the Princess Mononoke and her brothers strode off, back into the forest, leaving the outlander, the fire spirit, and the fox-squirrel alone.

Rukia turned and bowed before the boy, "I misjudged you earlier, Alex." she then looked up, as she transformed into her true form, "I thought most humans were destructive, greedy, and unkind." The Fire Spirit then smiled as her primary arms and hands lit up like jets, as she slowly descended off the ground. "But you proved me wrong; I hope to see you again." And she took off, leaving Alex and Isaac a bit stunned as before.

But the young outlander just smiled as he waved goodbye to her, and asked Isaac, "Think we'll ever see her again?"

"Oh, we will," the fox-squirrel guardian replied with a nudge to the boy. "She'll be back to keep an eye out for you."

* * *

**Four Days Later**

* * *

The small community of Iron Town was hard at work rebuilding their town after the battle. In the past couple of days, they had restored most of the homes, and had rebuild the Iron Works. However, they didn't clear away the forest as they did before, so the Iron Works was now made for something else. Even though they had used up the iron from the sand and didn't dig from the mountains, they had taken the iron and steel that was left from the battle. With help from the Outlander, they had begun to recycle the old armor and used that to make more guns. Not for battle against the forest, but from Osano's men, who hadn't shown up in a while so far.

So when they weren't reusing the iron, they were hard at work with their other business. From the excessive plants that had grown around and in their town, they had turned it into a farming community of sorts. The shore line from their town and to the other side, they had used it to grow vegetables and rice to trade with the other towns. The beasts of the forest usually wandered on in for a while, but nothing hostile in the least bit. In fact, both sides seemed to live more in harmony more than ever.

On the river bed close to Iron Town, a particular outlander was hard at work, cleaning his clothing. Alex, dressed only in a towel around his waist, was scrubbing the life out of his only clothing that he had on him. His socks and underwear were drying near a fire that was currently drying up some of the meat that he had gotten from the Amishi village. The bag and cloak were there as well, as was a certain fox-squirrel that was chewing on a piece of dried meat with much delight in it.

"MMmmmm," Isaac hummed in delight as he continued to chew on the piece of meat. "My, my, my, my. You're cooking skills are certainly improving since the last time."

"Glad to know that," Alex chuckled as he flapped his shirt dry of excess water. "I was beginning to wonder if I had overcooked it too much."

The two were silent for a moment, until Isaac turned to look at Alex for a moment. They had been talking about it for a while, and even though Isaac disagreed about it, Alex was dead sure to do it. The fox-squirrel sighed as he asked once again, "Alex… are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I know I made up my mind about ensuring the Spirit Kings stay alive," Alex reassured his furry friend as he brought over his shirt and hung it to dry over the fire. He then looked down to Isaac as he took his jeans to the water, "But if what Rukia said is true, and that tree works both ways…" he looked up and the clear and cloudy sky with hope in his eyes, "… then maybe I can go home."

"But what about the promise you made with San?" Isaac brought up as he stood up, finishing his meat jerky. "You promised to stay with her; I mean, even though there's a way for you to go home, that doesn't mean…"

Alex turned to face the little fox-squirrel as he answered, "I'm not breaking my promise to her. I'm just visiting my home and coming straight back as fast as I can."

The little fox-squirrel just sighed as he laid down again, continuing to eat his jerky meat. "Fine by me," Isaac replied as he gnawed at the meat. "Just don't expect her to be as understanding as I am."

He closed his eyes as he chuckled, "Yeah, I suppose not. I mean, I was already threatened before by her." he turned to the right of him as he went on, "What with 'I'll kill you, human!', or 'If you so much as touch me, I'll rip the tubes out of your throat', and oh, yeah! This was my favorite, I think; 'Touch me, and I'll tear your ears off with my teeth!'."

"I didn't say that."

The sudden familiar voice caught the young outlander by surprise as his eyes opened up… SMACK! A freshly caught fish was thrown into his face. The young lad stumbled in his crouched position and he fell straight into the river. Immediately, Alex shot out of the river, as he spat out water, looking at whoever threw the fish at him.

"You're wide open for an attack" said San, standing at the shoreline and walking to where his clothing was drying out. She stopped at the fire and smirked at the young time traveler playfully as she teasingly taunted. "Didn't you learn your lesson from last time?"

"With all that we've been through, I think I might've forgotten." He glared at her and asked annoyed as he stood out of the water, "Are you trying to kill me, San?" it was then that he noticed her face turning blush red as she looked down, shocked in surprise. "Wha… ?" he immediately looked down, and blushed himself as he saw the towel was nowhere to be seen. "Holy Crap!" he shouted as he ducked into the water, and pointed, "San! Toss me my jeans! Please!"

"Sure," she responded as she went over and grabbed the blue garment. "Here, catch!" and tossed them over to him as he caught the pants. She kept her back turned as she heard him step out of the river. Her face was as red as ever as she thought to herself, 'That… that was the first time I saw a human… I mean… a boy naked like that.' she shivered, not sure if she was excited or just freaked out about it. But somehow, she smiled warmly as she thought, 'But… at least I saw the body of the one that I…'

She stopped in her thoughts as Alex spoke out, "Okay, I'm decent."

San turned around as she saw him, now in his pants and had gotten a better look at him. From yesterday, she once again got a glimpse of his upper body's build, but noticed differences. For one, on the left shoulder were bite marks from Takemaru's attack. It was the only wound that didn't disappear from his body, which made her worry about something. If Takemaru could hurt him and leave a mark on the young boy… would half-breeds like him and Alex be the only ones that could hurt him? It was too much for her to bear at this point.

Unable to bear the silence at this point, San looked at the bag that he always had by his side. As well as the cloak and noticed it all seemed to be packed and ready to go somewhere. She turned to look to him and asked, "So, is it true?" Alex turned to her as she finally asked, almost saddened and disappointed, "Are you really returning home?"

Not sure if the answer would cause her great pain, he was slightly hesitant and quiet. He didn't really remember the events from when he was fully armored and the beastial side of his curse took control of his senses. But he did remember San's tears when she saw him. He even remembered when she embraced him from behind to prevent him from going any further into killing anything else. So, with a heavy sigh, and looked to San as he answered, "I am."

The Wolf Princess looked hurt as she turned around, crossing her arms. "You're more than welcome to stay with me in the Forest." her voice seemed to quiver a bit as she continued, "That's what I said when you didn't have anywhere to go." the young outlander then took notice that she was shaking as she spoke up, "You even said you would stay." she then turned to Alex, with a tear going down her cheek, a look of anger on her face than hatred as she nearly cried out, "And now you're leaving just like that!" even then her voice dripped with worry as she went on, "It's not even safe for you to wander around outside this forest! That samurai, Takemaru, went missing after the Night Walker was at peace. That damn Ghost Princess is somewhere out there alive, along with her minions, and…!"

Just then, surprising her, Alex was in front of her, and brought her in a close embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, while holding her head close to his chest. Feeling this warmth again, the wolf princess almost felt intoxicated as her nose took in the scent of the outlander. She nuzzled her face into his chest, almost forgetting how hurt she was.

Feeling her calmness, Alex spoke out, "I did say that I wanted to stay here, and maybe someday I will. San, you've lost your mother, and all you have are Kiba and Tsume. If anything I want to stay by your side." he then gently pulled away from her as the two looked eye to eye. "But I have to go back and tell my family I'm alright." he smiled to her as he whispered to her, "They're my clan as well."

The two teens were silent for a while, as they looked at one another to assure the words that were spoke would be kept. San reached up to the young outlander, and cupped his face to him. Alex was a little flushed by this action, wondering if she was gonna try and kiss him… KA-BONK! She slammed a powerful head butt to his forehead that caused him to stumble back.

The Wolf Princess crossed her arms as she huffed and walked away, stating, "You better come back afterwards! I'm not planning on leaving the forest undefended while you're lazing about back in your time."

As Alex rubbed his sore forehead and put on the rest of his clothing, Isaac just had to chirp out loud, "Man, you two act more like a married couple than a bunch of teens who're on a friend/couple standstill relationship."

"Shut up and eat that jerky," Alex shot back as he was getting his shoes on.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

**At the Edge of the Amishi Village**

* * *

After the duo had fully packed a few weeks ago, they set out to the village of the Amishi. For Alex, it had taken him almost a month on foot to get to where Iron Town was. But now that he had Isaac in his Beast Form, he could simply go back there in less than two weeks rather than six. The giant Fox-Squirrel had really made good time for them both as they had cut across the land pretty fast as the young outlander rode on top of the Fox-Squirrel like any man would on a horse. And after a two weeks journey, they had arrived at the middle of the forest to where Alex had wandered in from the tree.

"Alright," Alex said as he surveyed the forest all around them. "The tree should be somewhere around here. Can't be too far."

"You've been saying that ever since we got here," the fox-squirrel groaned as he shook his head

They had wandered in pretty deep as they could in the darkened forest, not even noticing movement in the trees. If Isaac's senses could attune to it, he would have noticed thorn covered vines were slowly snaking their way around the trees. And in an odd scene, the vines were actually infecting the plants, much as Nago's slimy worms or the Night Walker would with everything they touched.

It was then that Alex spotted it, "There it is." there it was, right smack dab in the middle where his home would be in the future, the Sacred Tree of his aunt's temple.

He hopped off his fuzzy companion, as Isaac transformed back into his default form and hopped on to the young lad's shoulder. The familiar shadings of the area, the fresh sweet smell of damp forest, and the unfamiliar forests that he got himself lost in. it was when he was near this very tree, falling down the cavern underneath it, and finding that strange bulb that lit up the place and sent him here in this time. Everything that had happened, all of it seemed like yesterday instead of a whole month.

He crossed his arms and smirked in thought out loud as he told himself, "Hard to believe I got sent here by just this tree. A lot's happened ever since…" he smirked at the memories that he had: being cursed by Nago, gaining the strange armor power, which surprisingly was controllable now, meeting Isaac, Rukia, and even San. He chuckled at all that transpired, "I guess it wasn't all that bad."

Isaac looked to Alex as he cocked an eyebrow, "You mean to tell me all that whining about getting killed out here, and you're suddenly happy about it?"

"Pretty much."

Isaac sighed, "You're the strangest human I've come to know, Future Boy."

After a small chuckle, Alex looked to the tree, and sighed as he crossed his arms, "Okay… so how to I get back?"

"I…" Isaac stated looking confident, only to shrink with uncertainty as he replied. "… have no idea."

Before Alex could go ballistic, a thorn vine as big as a fire hose shot right at them. Hearing it come right at them, Alex easily dodged it using his demon-enhanced strength, speed, and agility. He crouched to the side as he and Isaac looked up to where the vine was. It had originated from one of the trees, which was becoming covered with the same type of vines as it blackened and decayed the forest all around it.

"I'm impressed," a sultry voice called out from the tree, catching both their attention. "You're a lot faster than the Ghost Princess told me you would be."

'Ghost Princess? Does she mean Yashahime?' Alex thought with dread of that name. considering how much of a psycho he saw her as, the young lad knew that this was bad news. "I figured this wasn't gonna be easy to go home like that," he told himself as he stood up and shouted. "Who's out there?"

Then from out of the shadows of the tree, as if answering his demand, a beautiful girl stepped out to look down upon them. Suddenly growing from behind the girl, a comfy couch throne made of tree leaves, vines, and mostly bushes. It was a girl, of sixteen and Caucasian, slim and slender figure with beautiful skin, long blonde hair that went down her back and braided into one large ponytail that touched her ankles, jungle green lipstick, and dazzling emerald eyes. However, something was amiss about her; as the only thing she was wearing a dress that split down to her bellybutton, exposing her cleavage a bit, no back, shoulder-less, and the skirt going down to her ankles, but split down from her left ankle to her hip. But the odd thing about the dress… was that it was made entirely out of leaves. Around her waist was a belt made entirely made of vines with a rose as the buckle. Around her arms were vines as well, acting as gloves, a vine ankle bracelet was on her right ankle with a leaf on it. Wrapped around her legs to her ankles, a single vine clung onto them. And behind her head, was a large rose leaf hat of sorts.

Alex gulped at this strange girl, but Isaac had a different reaction. His little eyes went as wide with saucers and his tongue stuck out as he howled out, "OW, BABY! YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!"

"Take a cold shower," Alex mumbled, and looked to the strange flower girl. "So who are you? It's obvious you were sent by Yashahime, so are you after me for revenge?"

The girl merely chuckled as she replied, "My name is Baras, former minion spirit of Somiesa, turned servant to King Hexxus." she then snapped her fingers, as a vine shot out from behind the boy, shredding his pocket by surprise. The vine stopped in front of Baras, and hung to it, was a necklace of sort. And pinned to it were the three beads belonging to both Somiesa and Shisha Gami. She gladly took it as she smiled, "And what I want are the beads of the Spirit Kings' essence." she then curtly looked to the two and asked, "So… where's the Wolf Princess and Fire Spirit? Aren't they with you?"

"They're back in Iron Town," Alex responded, not liking this one bit as he slowly backed to the Sacred Tree. "Why do you ask, Hippie?"

Not being fazed the least by the boy's rudeness, she answered, "Just asking." suddenly, a wave of sharp vines grew behind her as she smiled, "I just want to know where they are so I can kill them…." and then they shot straight at the two, like a shower of arrows that blotted out the sun. "… right after I'm done with you two."

Alex and Isaac gasped as the young outlander backed into the tree. As soon as he touched it, the tree's aura began to glow bright green. Baras immediately took notice of this, and didn't expect what would come next. Underneath the boy's feet, a gaping hole collapsed in, just as the vines were about to pierce the two heroes. The massive hole then swallowed the two up, like a giant mouth opened up for a grape to fall in. then, as if time slowed down, both Alex and Isaac fell several meters down into darkness… with the vines following after them.

Baras viciously smirked calmly as the vines then returned back, "Well, that was easy." The vines' tips were in front of her now, being inspected of the blood that was shed. But Baras' smile faded away as she frowned, "What? Where's the blood?" in truth, the vines were bone dry clean, not even a speck of blood was on them at all.

The throne she sat on, stretched out with her on it, as it stopped at the hole. She looked down, trying to find them, but could only see pitch black darkness down the pit. She huffed as she blew her cheeks out puffy, "That's no fair, escaping like that without even a scratch." Just then, she heard footsteps approaching as she turned her attention to what appeared to be warriors coming at her. It seemed that she had gotten much attention around, and that the Amishi People had sent their finest soldiers after the disturbance.

"Oh, dear. One nuisance after another," Baras signed. "I guess the Princess Mononoke and that Fire Spirit are gonna have to wait."

* * *

**Next Chapter: the Journey back to Home; A Thorny Rose pt. 1**


	29. A Little Thorny Problem pt2

**Author's Note: in the near future of this story, I've decied to add a few more elements to the story. In which case, I don't own boht Avatar, both James Cameron and the Last Airbender, and I don't own Claymore or Bleach either. They are the sole property of their respected creators.****

* * *

**

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors****

* * *

**

**Chapter 27: the Journey back to Home; An Unexpected Guest pt. 2****

* * *

**

**Earlier Before Departure**

**Wolf Clan's Cave****

* * *

**

Outside the darkness of the cave entrance, sitting on the outcropping rock was the Wolf Princess, Princess Mononoke, or San. She had returned from saying goodbye to Alex, and making sure he would return. She was sharpening her dagger swords at the moment, cleaning them off to prepare for the next hunt later on. Usually she would sharpen them for battle against the humans, but thanks to her and Alex, the war was long over. A truce between the humans and the forest was now settled; it was a bit fresh and hard to get used to, but it would take time to get used to their alliance. But now, all San could do at this point was clean her weapons out for a hunt… but now it was just sheer boredom.

But even that wasn't what cleared her thoughts. She sighed as she set the blades down and drew her legs up to her chest. "It's no use," she grumbled as she looked at the view of the forest from her cave. "It's just so boring out here." she fell flat on her back to the rock outcropping, her arms and legs sprawled out as she looked up at the sky.

'Tsume and Kiba are out, finding the other members of our tribe,' she thought to herself, knowing full well of her brothers' responsibility to retrieve the Wolf Clan members that were ordered to retreat by her mother's command. She sighed heavily as she pouted, "Why is it that peace has to be so boring? I wish something would happen to keep my skills in check."

"Princess?"

Startled by the voice, San spun on the ground, grabbing her dagger, and got in a crouch position ready to attack whoever snuck up on her. However, she lowered her blade as she saw it was just Rukia, in her human form, and surprisingly a look of surprise on her face. The Wolf Princess sheathed her blade as she returned to her sitting position, overlooking the forest, but not before she muttered, "My apologies, Rukia. I've been a bit on edge lately."

"I've noticed," the Fire Spirit said as she strolled over to the Wolf Girl. "With a truce between the Forest and Iron Town after what transpired the last week, who wouldn't be."

The Fire Spirit nodded as she stood next to the Princess, overlooking the Forest. "So, the young time traveler is returning to his home, I heard."

"His name is Alex," San corrected, not sounding miffed about the whole time traveler name. she sighed aloud as she looked out at the forest, "And yes, he is going home."

Cocking an eyebrow at the princess, the fire spirit dared to ask the obvious emotion going through her at this time. "You sound… bitter." that immediately got San's attention as she turned to her as she went on, "You say that you want him to go home," she then saw the wolf girl sigh deeply, almost disappointed. "But I think in truth, you rather not want him to leave you at all."

When San heard that, she almost felt an arrow was plunged deep into her heart: Bullseye. Unfortunately, Rukia was right about that completely, San really didn't want Alex to leave. It's true in the past, she despised the humans for what they did to the forest. She swore, even at a young age, that any human that trespassed this forest, even defiled it like her human parents, she would kill on sight and show no mercy to any of them. But when she first met him, when he had saved her life, first at Iron Town, then the Forest, and when she was nearly devoured by Okoto's curse, her hatred for humans seemed to lessen a bit.

But it was more than when he had saved her so many times, it all started before all that. when she first glanced at Alex… he was just so different from all the other humans. When she first met him, he seemed so spineless from just listening to him. Actually, he almost seemed insane from the way he talked aloud to her and her clan. But that changed from his acts of courage over the few days in the Forest and the Battle for Shisha Gami's life. His strange idiotic and humorous behavior towards life/death situations, and his bizarre yet effective fighting style. Then there were the moments when they occasionally squabbled, but then worked things out, with him showing a surprisingly amount of compassion towards her.

Then… there was the kiss. Back at the Pool of Shisha Gami, he had given her her first human kiss. She had remembered on how she first reacted to such an act. It all started from helping him eat to regain his strength, and then he had pulled her in to his lips. At first, her basic instincts shouted to her to rip his face off and gouge his eyeballs out of his skull for doing such a thing. But then something deeper that surpassed her wolven heritage, and caused her emotions to just explode in her heart, and return the kiss.

She remembered when she did, as she touched her fingers with her lips tenderly. She closed her eyes, remembering the taste that the two had shared with each other left by their kiss. When they had kissed, all time just seemed to slow to a standstill; it felt like an eternity when they shared that experience at Shisha Gami's pool. And they had begun to push even further in their kiss; her lips seeking his own with a longing passion she had never once imagined could exist. Ever.

It was perhaps before she confessed how she truly felt about the outlander to her mother, that kiss was when she realized that she had fallen in love with him.

With a heavy sigh, San let a sad small smile come into her face as she whispered, "I guess… I'm just gonna miss having him around for a while."

Seeing the princess this depressed over a human, Rukia just sighed heavily in contempt at what she did next. "Well, if you wish to, Princess…" She then pulled out something from behind her sash belt and threw it to San, "Use this as an excuse to follow him."

Immediately reacting to the toss, San caught the object in her hand, "What? What are you…?" But then she glimpsed at what she had caught, and saw that it was the Hulk comic that Alex had left behind. "But this is Alex's. how did…?" Her eyes then lit up as she looked to Rukia and questioned, "Did you take this when he wasn't looking?"

"More like Isaac gave it to me," Rukia mumbled as she turned away, avoiding the gaze of the Princess. "He took it out from under Alex's nose and gave it to me. He claimed to give it to you to make an excuse to go after him."

San's eyes lit up with surprise at the Fire Spirit, and then turned her attention to the comic in her hands. She had remembered when the young outlander had told her the origin stories of the two beings that fought in this parchment. And when she witnessed Alex fighting against Takemaru, it was like seeing the same thing in the comic. In which Alex was the Hulk and Takemaru being the Abomination; Alex was cursed with Nago's power, but used it to help others, and the rogue samurai human was cursed and took joy in hurting others with it. Just seeing Alex like that reminded her of why she needed to be with him… he protected this forest and everyone in it, human or beast. And now… she would protect him.

She tucked the comic into her sash belt and stood up. "I'm going after him to return this," San concluded, but sighed as she looked at the forest, "But… it'll be a while before I catch up to him on foot."

Just then, surprising both the girls, a shadow cast over them as they turned around. There, lying on the spot where Moro once talked to Alex, Tsume was there, grumbling about something. And from the looks of it, he didn't seem to happy about it.

"Tsume?" San questioned at seeing her brother here. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Kiba? Getting Koga and the others?"

"I was," the giant silver wolf grumbled under this breath as he looked away. "It was only with one argument with Koga on who would lead the clan instead of you that things got messy. He claimed that a mere human cub shouldn't be in charge, and that he should lead it." He then grumbled as he complained, "All I did was bite him, and suddenly Kiba ordered me to come back! It was just one bite in the tail; I hardly did any serious harm!"

"Maybe because you were probably in the wrong," Rukia suggested. "I don't think biting a member of your clan was such a good way to settle a dispute."

"He had it coming!" Tsume barked out, snarling out his frustration away from the girls.

Both Rukia and San sighed at this total reaction of Tsume's social skills. Then suddenly, San's eyes lit up with an idea as she looked to her brother, "Tsume! You don't have anything to do, do you?"

* * *

**Present Time: Now**

**Back to the Future**

**Present Tokyo**

* * *

For several heartbeats he continued to lay there in a daze. That is until Isaac yipped loudly as he was finally waking up, waking him up in the process.

"Ugh, wha… wha happened… ? Wh… where… where am I… ?"

"Argh!" Isaac groaned as the little fox-squirrel was groggily getting back up on all fours. "My achin'…" he was bickering about as he shook himself free of any dirt as he stretched his little back. "Where are we?"

"That's what I'd like to know," the young teenager asked as he finally got back on to his feet.

Isaac hopped on to him, crawling up to his shoulder as he got a good eye view. When their senses were back in check, Alex immediately noticed the fresh, sweet smell of damp earth. The same kind you would smell underground… in a cave.

After realizing this, Alex immediately lit up as he turned around in a flash. And sure enough, there it was, in the center of the cave. The giant green bulb with many roots connecting to it; the Heart of the Sacred Tree. Immediately, after seeing the organic plant bulb, his drowsiness was shaken off, recognizing the underground chamber of the Sacred Tree. A huge smile spread across his face as he grabbed the Amishi bag, and ran out the tunnel that led to the outside.

Isaac clung onto the shirt collar as he bounced up and down comically. "Hey, whoa boy! Slow down, slow down! Small, cute, and fluffy passenger on the shoulder here," the fox-squirrel cried out, his eyes swirling around from dizziness. "I'm gonna fall off here! I'm gonna fall off! I'm gonna throw up… and _then_ I'm gonna fall off!"

He ran down the dark cavern pathway, until he spotted light down at the end. He stopped, getting a good look up, seeing the sunset sky approaching. Then, with a little concentration, Alex reached down into himself, and immediately hopped on to the cavern wall, using his now half-demon enhanced agility and strength. He hopped onto one side of the wall, and to the other as he grabbed the edge of the hole with the second jump. He then pulled himself out of the hole, and stood up as he and Isaac got a good look around to where they were now.

… and Alex never smiled brighter than ever at this point in his life.

There, right in front of him, was his own house/clinic, as well as his aunt's temple. As well as a great view of the suburban district of the neighborhood they had moved into. And beyond that, the city of Tokyo, with its mighty Radio Tower. Just seeing the very city that he saw only once when he was brought into this country, just made him smile, and nearly go out of breath. He lightly chuckled for a moment, almost overjoyed to be back into his own time. Then, that small chuckle grew to a loud laugh, as he threw his fists into the air, and shouted, "I'M HOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!"

After he had relaxed a bit, Isaac looked to his human companion and questioned, "Lost much in your head there when we fell through, eh?"

"Nah. Not in the least," Alex stated as he took a few steps away from the tree. "Though there are times I wonder if there's anything up there."

But he stopped in his tracks as he took notice of something that was amiss. When he looked around the yard, something was very different, as his face scrunched into a scowl of confusion. The grass was a healthy green, bushes and long grass grew on the sides of the fences. A garden of flowers were growing as well, and three trees, one young, two almost about seven hundred years old and amazingly alive and healthy… just like the Sacred Tree. And it didn't stop with _his_ backyard. He looked to both sides, and saw from near and far, trees seemed to be growing around, healthier than ever, even from afar.

"This is…" Alex started as he looked at the amazing signs of green.

However, that stopped as he heard a crashing sound. He looked to where the crash was heard at; it came from the back patio of the house/clinic. There, standing there in shock and dropped a full garbage bag, was his little sister, Kari. She had just stepped outside, on her way to the driveway to take out the trash, until she spotted someone that she thought she'd never see again. Her face was a mixture of sad/joy and shock, when she got a look at her brother, who had been missing for almost a month now. Her little body shook slightly, as her eyes slowly began to water with tears of joy, at the sight of her big brother.

A single tear dropped down her face as she whispered, "Is… is that you… Alex?"

The young teenager, unable to utter a single word, stepped down the steps as slowly as he could. When he reached the bottom, he just stood there, looking as happy as ever to see his little sister again. His thoughts slowly returning to him, he sheepishly waved to her lightly, with his arm and hand in a slow and small moving fashion.

And finally, he uttered out as small and soft as he could, "Hi, Kari."

Immediately, the young girl bolted from where she stood, rushing over to her older brother. Tears streaming down her face and flying off as her movements shook them off. Finally, when she was close enough, she pounced right at him, crying out, "ALEX!!!" She immediately clasped a mighty hug on her brother, making sure she would never let go of him ever again as she wept, "Oh, Big Brother! I was so worried; Dad and Aunt Jun were all so worried! I wanted to see you again so much!"

Realizing how worried her sister was for him, Alex just smiled in relief. When she screamed out in worry, their dad and aunt immediately bolted out to see why she had cried out in a panic. When they were outside, they immediately saw Alex as well as they ran towards him.

Alex's Dad comically let out a stream of tears, as well as let his nose run with snot. He cried out, "SOOOOOOON!!!" and goofingly charged towards his son, with Aunt Jun coming after him normally.

Before they could meet up with them to deliver a big group hug, the young teenager just smiled as he thought, 'I'm home…'

* * *

**Back in the Past**

**Amishi Village**

**A Little Earlier**

* * *

From within the forest, San strode on through, on top of her brother's back, dressed in her white furred cloak with mask and all, as well as her daggers and her spear staff. As soon as Alex had left the forest to pursue his way back to the Sacred Tree, the Wolf Princess made dead sure to follow him, without being spotted. And so, for two to three weeks, the wolf Girl and Tsume had followed from behind in the shadows of the Forest and the Night. So far Alex nor Isaac didn't spot them at all, which made it easier for the latter to continue in following them both. Unfortunately, when Tsume had stopped to take a quick drinking break near a spring river, they lost their trail.

San just sighed as she angrily looked to her brother on his back, "How could you lose him? His scent isn't that hard to pick up!"

The silver wolf wasn't exactly liking this more than anyone, as he growled at his human sister. "If it's that easy for you, San. Why don't you sniff him out?"

"When you were filling your gullet with water, I was," San shot back angrily as she looked ahead. But her anger disappeared immediately as he sighed, letting all that anger drop. "But when I tried… I couldn't locate a good point to where he was." She began to worry much as she gently stroked her brother's head, showing that she was sorry for snapping at him as she looked through the dense forest as her brother slowly continued forward. "Tsume," the Wolf Princess looked to her brother, her voice filled with worry, "You don't think he's…?"

"I doubt it, San," Tsume stated, eliminating the hidden fear in her sister. "If he were dead, I could smell his corpse and find him. But this…" he pondered aloud as they continued to enter further into the clearing of the forest. "… it's like he's vanished off the face of the world."

San didn't like the sound of that, not one bit. She wished that Rukia had accompanied her on this, but she remembered she left her behind. Someone needed to guard the forest until Kiba returned with news of the Wolf Clan's remaining members return. But in the meantime, she just had to hope, as they came across what appeared to be a village.

It seemed like a village that was nestled in the center of this forest. Completely hidden from the outside world; and probably it was needed to be that way. However, there seemed to be a few things wrong with it much to the Wolf Princess's better instincts. For one thing, no one seemed to be around; no workers, no women bringing baskets to or from their homes, not even doing laundry at all, not even the men were around. The torches were all lit up, probably about for hours, and left uncheck. But the most bizarre thing… was that giant thorny vines were growing out of the ground, and encompassing everything all around them and through the houses as well. This was indeed a strange village, if they allowed such wild vines to grow out and into their homes as such.

San looked around, almost trying to figure out the whole events that had taken place. 'What happened here?' she immediately hopped off of Tsume as she scanned the area.

The wind blew in quite eerily as she surveyed the seemingly abandoned village of the Amishi People. San immediately pulled the cloak tighter around her, to best conceal her weapons. She looked to her brother, "Tsume, what could…?" but then was immediately shocked as she saw that where her brother stood… there was no one. She rushed over to there, and stopped, looking in both directions as she shouted, "Brother! Brother! Tsume, where are you?!"

Nothing. Not even a howling response from him.

Except for the sounds of footsteps as she looked behind her, and saw at a distance. Only one villager, blurred a bit from afar, was the only residence noticeable at all. The wolf girl took a step forward, as she shouted, "Hey, you!"

The villager, completely shadowed from appearance, didn't notice her for a moment. And then, they turned their direction to her, slowly towards her, as if they were some sort of undead corpse. The body, much to San's basic warning instincts, showed that their right arm, as well as most of their chest and back, seemed to wriggle and warp, almost like they were wrapped up in snakes. The figure's right arm rose up a bit, and out of him shot out several green spine thorns that shot at her like bullets out of one of those Gatling guns that the wolf girl had seen the samurai used once.

San, immediately stunned by this bizarre scene, was about to leap out of the way. However, someone beat her to safety as a small figure leapt out of nowhere, and pushed her out of the way. The two landed behind one of the huts, as the thorny bullets punctured the walk roads. As soon as San and the mysterious figure that helped save her got back on their feet, the wolf princess got a good look at who had saved her.

The girl was of Asian, between the ages of twelve to fourteen, had short light brown hair that was tied up in a bun, and had brown eyes. She wore a short sleeved blue kimono shirt with red trimming and blue skirt with it. It was held on by a light blue sash, and she had a machete sword and bow and arrow strapped to her back. On her forearms were blue leather guards, and on her calves, blue bandages.

The girl, Kaya, looked to San as she instructed, "Follow me."

Not arguing with her, the two scampered further into the hut, while San followed the girl. Outside, the figure continued to fire off the large thorns, turning everything in sight into a pin-cushion. Back in the house, Kaya ran towards a suspended rope of some kind, and slashed at it with her blade. The rope, was connected to a suspended column of logs for firewood, and connected to a hidden noose that the creature stepped on to. The logs went crashing down on one end, while the noose rose up, ensnaring the creature's foot, hauling them up.

"Come on!" Kaya shouted to San. "That trap won't hold him forever!"

San nodded, "Right, I'll follow you," and with that the two headed upstairs to the top of the hut.

The beast outside thrashed and wiggled to free itself. Until finally, swiping at it with its massive right arm, the creature broke itself free and fell to the ground hard. For a while, it just laid there, until it finally got up, and lunched on over to the hut. Seeing the main door barricaded, the thorns grew on its right vine arm, and slashed and swatted at the door, breaking it apart.

Up on the roof, the wolf princess and the Amishi Princess raced to the roof. When they had gotten up there, the Oracle, as well as Ji-san were awaiting her. As soon as they were up there, she nodded, making strange hand signals to Jisan as he nodded. He took an axe and immediately cut down a rope, connecting to logs with bamboo spikes sticking out of it. The logs fell down straight on to the creature, burying it once and for all. The two princesses rushed and looked over to the side, getting a good look if the prey had finally been vanquished.

Suddenly, the beast shot out, in tattered Amishi robes, and roaring out inhumanly. At first, San thought it was some sort of human covered in plants, when in truth, it was a plant shaped like a human, almost as a portion of its body was tree-like with giant root vines growing to where a human arm should have been. Its torso and head had bamboo spears jotted into its body, bleeding what appeared to be a liquid sap instead of the sticky kind, and fell down on the logs, finally dead.

San pulled back, looking to the human elders as she asked, "What was that thing? A demon?" just then, the wolf princess heard a bow being pulled back as she whipped around. She came face-to-face with an arrowhead, aimed right for her face, and seeing the Amishi girl glaring at her threateningly.

"We'll answer your questions as soon as you answer mine," Kaya replied as she pointed the arrow at San's neck. "Where did you get that pendant?"

The Wolf Girl cocked an eyebrow at the girl's words and looked down around her neck. 'My pendant?' she asked herself as she gently held it in her right hand. She then looked at the girl and answered, "An outlander human…" she shook her head, knowing full well that she should never use the term 'human' like that. After all, she had accepted that she was somewhat human herself, "… I mean, an outlander named Alex, gave it to me."

Kaya's gaze became less threatening as she heard that name. "Alex…?" she then lowered her bow, alliwng the arrow to drop as she replaced the bow back on her person. "Wait! You met brother Alex?" Kaya asked hopefully as she ran towards San, stopping in front of her with hope in her evident eyes. "He's alive? He made it to the forest Spirit King and rid himself of the Boar God's curse?"

"The young lad has the luck of the Spirits," Jisan smiled at all this, as he chuckled full heartedly.

"Wait, I don't understand," San asked as she looked to the Elders. "I thought Alex passed through here to get to the Sacred Tree? To get home?"

"It's most likely he went past the village and went straight to the tree, Miss," Jisan answered. "He couldn't have passed through our village, much to the council's rules. The laws forbid anyone from coming back into our village, despite his efforts in defeating the Boar Demon-God and saving Princess Kaya."

"Alex did all that?" the Wolf Girl asked, remembering when Alex had told her mother and the boars on how he acquired the curse. However, he didn't mention on where he did it, nor of the people he had saved in the process. It was at these times, San just had to smile, knowing that even though the human boy was reckless, he never stopped to think of others in times of need. But she returned her attention to the three that were with her as she asked, "But wait! What's been going on here? Is it another demon?"

"It is a rogue spirit, Princess of the Wolves," the Oracle answered, speaking up and making herself known aloud. Seeing the surprised look on both her people's faces as well as the Wolf Princess's, the Oracle nodded as she explained, "Yes, Princess Mononoke, I know of you. As well as I know of the evil that attacked our village. The stones had foretold of the outlander's mission to save the Spirit Kings, and of Someisa's and Shisha Gami's passing. When the Spirit King of the Forest passed his essence in protection to the outlander, his hold on certain protective barriers were removed. As such, any demon or unholy spirit that he might have imprisoned due to his power, may have been unleashed. The spirit proceeded to attack our village, when we found the vines and plants it grew, began to choke the life out of the forest itself. It then summoned minor spirits to find and capture all of the Amishi but ourselves."

"We've been trying to fight it, but their numbers keep growing more and more," Kaya confessed, her hopes leaving her almost.

San wasn't about to give up as she looked to the Oracle, determination burning in her eyes, "There has to be some way to defeat this demon."

"There is. The young outlander that I spoke of," the old lady stated as she explained. "Only he has the power to defeat this creature."

"Where is he?" Kaya asked the wolf princess, focusing her attention her now as she beggingly asked. "Is he alright?"

San looked at the girl, and then outside to the forest as she answered in a hearable whisper, "He went back to his own time."

"Then you must go and find him," the Oracle replied. Everyone heard that, even San did, as she went on, "You must journey into his time, find him, and bring him back to face this evil."

San heard that and knew that the human oracle was right, but she lowered her head in doubt. She remembered how much Alex had been through; all the blood, pain, and suffering on himself just on surviving this world foreign to him. If anything, she knew that he deserved nothing more than to go home to escape this warring era of hers. However, she knew that if Alex knew, he wouldn't just sit around and ignore this.

She tightened her fist as she looked at the oracle with hardened determine, "I'll go and find him."

* * *

Not too far from them, Baras sat on her throne of bushes and roses. Almost as if she had heard and saw the whole thing before her, the rogue minor spirit smirked evilly as she flexed her fingers out. "So… that boy I saw earlier has gone back to his own time? And that the Wolf Princess will go and retrieve him for me?" large vines began to snake out towards the darkened forest, going for the tree that the boy disappeared into. Baras giggled out, seeing the vines go deeper and nearly disappear, "Little boy. I'm coming for you and your wolf whore."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Unexpected Guest Arriving; Destiny and Battles Await**


	30. Destiny Awaits pt1

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Unexpected Guest Arriving; Destiny and Battles Await pt. 1**

* * *

**Back in the Future**

**Killian Clinic/Residence**

Everyone was currently discussing Alex's case in the living room, the only one not present was Anju, who had a poetry reading at her club. So far, when Alex had come back, they had noticed holes in his shirt, as well as a slash mark in it. Even Alex's dad had to confirm the bizarreness of the scars when he had him put in examination to see what had happened to him in his disappearance several months ago, especially the scar on his left arm. A while ago, if he had examined it, he would have deemed it to never be used again, and would have to amputate it immediately. But when Alex showed that it was capable of movement, he was all wrong. Not to mention the strange little creature that had come with him. They had deemed Isaac harmless, especially when Karin went gaga all over him in how cute he was. Thankfully, Alex had pulled him back in time. Truthfully, they didn't know what to think at this time, let alone what to do in case Alex disappeared back to that time.

Alex's father's arms were crossed, as he sat on the couch; a perplexed look of thought was on his face as he twitched his eyebrow over his closed eyes. "It's just kind of hard to believe what he just told us."

"But what if it's true?" Karin asked. "I mean, if Alex did get sent to the past? And what if he is some kind of Feudal version of Venom and Carnage?"

"I'm much more concerned with the Scared Tree outside," Aunt Jun rubbed her chin in thought. "If it truly is a gateway from our time and into the ancient warring era of Japan, then who's to say that Alex isn't the only one that can come through it."

"Either way, we can't let him go back," Mr. Killian stated, his brow furthering into seriousness, as he looked dead-serious… for once… to the others, "We've got to keep him occupied so much, he won't even think about going back."

They were all in a deep quandary about this, until Anju suddenly stepped into the room. She looked at everyone, who were all hard in thought, as she simply asked, "What?"

* * *

**Alex's Room**

While Anju was bringing up to speed on the Back to the Future parody story, Alex was lying on his bed. He wasn't asleep though, as he was wide awake, with his eyes to the ceiling, and his right forearm on his forehead, breathing deeply in thought. His chest and left bicep were both bandaged up, exposing the tight muscles on either side as he tried to process his thoughts up. However, that didn't pick up well, as a certain fox-squirrel was gnawing on a piece of spicy turkey jerky, in which he was the one that made the mistake of bringing it up here for Isaac to have for a snack. Incidentally, he was enjoying the futuristic dried up meat, as he was moaning with delight of this salty treat.

"Mmmmmm," Isaac hummed in dreamy delight as he still gnawed at the jerky, "Mmmmm… MMMmmm!" he then tore a piece off as he chewed it up and swallowed, and licked his lips as he yipped with joy, "My, my, my, my! This 'beef jerky' you humans made in this time is wondrous!" he then looked to Alex as he asked, "What else you got?"

"One snack at a time," the boy sighed as he covered his eyes. Finally, he got enough strength as he sat up, Indian style, and looked to his fuzzy guardian spirit, with a serious look on his face. "But let's change the subject to something serious," he said, rubbing his sore left shoulder, "That girl back in the past forest, Baras. You know her?"

Isaac stopped for a moment, and nodded, looking rather serious about the situation spoken out, "Yeah, I've heard of her; Somiesa ran into her once… back when things were a little easier." he straightened his fur out as he explained, "Baras was a witch of sorts, killing young wanderers that tried to take her as their bride, hearing stories about her beauty."

"No stories there," Alex commented, remembering seeing Baras for the first time.

"Well, in truth, she had discovered a fountain of youth, by sucking the life out of those that sought her out," Isaac continued, "She kept this up until Somiesa came in, and defeated her. He used his power to seal her magic and transform her into an old hag. A pretty befitting fate for the crazy broad, eh?"

"Well, if that's true, then why did she look like a young and beautiful girl," Alex asked, his face contorted in confusion as the story started to not make any sense now, "And why suddenly come back now after all these years?"

Isaac thought about it for a moment, and knew right then about what it could have been. He looked to the boy with much seriousness in his face and answered, "My guess is when Somiesa gave you his essence, his death must've undone all of his barriers against the demons he fought against back then. His death was pretty much an alarm bell welcoming every evil he or Shisha Gami banished from their forest."

With this realization kicking in, Alex groaned as he cupped his face with one hand, "Oh great. So all this is my fault."

"I wouldn't really say that," the fox-squirrel shrugged, "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

He then looked to his jacket, and his spare shirt, a white T-shirt with black sleeves and collar. Immediately, he put the shirt on, and dawned his jacket as well. But he had it zipped halfway up, leaving only the chest exposed, and rolled up the sleeves to the elbow. He then walked over to where he had placed the supply bag and cloak. He stuffed the cloak in as he set the bag to his shoulder, and looked to Isaac.

"C'mon," Alex ordered as the little fox-squirrel followed him, "We're going back before anyone else gets…"

Suddenly, the door burst open, with a smiling Karin as she surprised the two, "Dinner time, Alex! We're having pizza and hot wings tonight!"

Immediately, Alex dropped the bag and smiled at his sister, ignoring what he was intending, "Alright!"

And instantly, the two ran downstairs, leaving the little fox-squirrel sweat dropping at this as he groaned, hanging his head in annoyance and shame, "How did he get distracted that easily?"

* * *

**Dining Room**

'How did I get distracted that easily?' Alex thought to himself as he sat at the table, his head hung in shame and annoyance.

Currently everyone was sitting at the table, with pizza boxes and soda bottles that had been ordered out. Mr. Killian had wasted no effort or time to get the boxes delivered as fast as possible. The family were just sitting at the table, eating and drinking soda, but other than that, their usual dinner routine was in effect. They all conversed on how their day went with much further reverent in the tales they bequeathed to one another, adding to the joy in their happy family. Though for Alex, he was the only Killian not conversing, as he had a lot on his mind at this point, on how to break the news to them.

'I've got a lot on my mind,' he grimaced in his thoughts, 'How am I gonna tell them that I need to go back, rescue an ancient village from getting turned into demon mulch? And not have them freak out about it?'

"Hey, son," Mr. Killian spoke out, catching his son out of his train of thoughts. He smirked at him, asking, "You hardly said a word since dinner started. Something the matter?"

"Yeah, you usually talk just as much as dad does," Karin asked aloud, looking rather worried to him, with the cuteness in her eyes, "But lately, you haven't said a word at all. Not even when you got back. Except for that 'Hi', that was the whole bit."

Being startled by such, Alex quickly gave his best nervous smile, and quickly covered, "Oh, well… I've, uh, had a lot on my mind since I came back." the other seemed a bit convinced, but not to himself as he mentally shouted, 'Come on, Dummy! Just tell them that you've got to go back! And if they ask, tell them why: you gotta save the future of our world.'

Anju looked to Alex, and noticed his uneasiness as she finally broke the ice, "Something on your mind, cousin?"

Snapping out of his dazed thoughts, he looked and saw everyone looking at him, confused and worried. Isaac walked into the room, and stood by the door, which was opened only by a crack, peeped on in to see what was going on. Finally, with enough silence going on, and thinking about what to say, Alex finally spoke out.

"I have to go back," Alex answered.

Everyone looked confused as his dad asked, "Back where? To your room?"

"No, Dad," Alex answered, looking dead serious about what he said next. "Back to the past."

Everyone nearly jumped in surprise from that last statement, as Kari shot up in worry, "No, you can't!" she immediately bolted right to him, and glomped onto him, making sure he couldn't leave. She buried her face in his side as she cried out, "It was horrible when you weren't here! We all thought that something might have killed you! And then you pop back up, back in our home…" and then she looked at him, with much worry written in her eyes, "And now you're telling me you're leaving us again?"

"It's nothing like that, Kari," Alex defended.

"So why the sudden urge to go back?" his father asked.

But before Alex could answer the question, another answer was given, as the door opened. Everyone, minus Alex, all looked to the door, and Alex spotted the confused looks on their faces. He cocked an eyebrow as he asked, "We have company?"

"What did I tell you before?" a very familiar voice spoke up from behind him.

Alex nearly froze up from that voice, and slowly turned around. He looked to the floor, and saw a frantic Isaac, urging the boy to look upward. But he stopped, as he looked and saw a familiar pair of clothed moccasins. He then continued upward, with a familiar pair of legs, dress, small muscled arms and body… until he was directly in the face of the Wolf Princess, San.

Alex gulped at seeing her here… in his time… and whispered in disbelief, "S… San?"

"You idiot!" she shot at him, causing Alex to flinch at the insult, scolding him dearly, "I told you not to hesitate or take too long! You said you'd be back in no time, and just when you're gone, trouble starts up again. And I end up having to go and retrieve you."

Snapping out of his confusion, he shook his head as he asked, "Wait! How'd you even get…?"

"I came through the tree, just like you and Isaac did," San answered as she walked over and knelt by his side. This caused the other members of Alex's family to question on what would happen next. That, and they were eagerly wondering what the relationship between Alex and this girl named San was at all. "That," she started as she smirked, and leaned close to him, startling the boy. She leaned in towards his collar bone, and inhaled through her nose softly, taking in his scent as she went up to his face, almost about ot rub her nose to his cheek.

This caused the young boy to blush uncontrollably, as well as his family at this display of thought affection. After she was face to face with him, she opened her eyes and looked to him, eye to eye, "… and your scent is as strong as ever."

Finally, after seeing his son flirting with a girl this attractive, his father shot up and blushed like crazy. He then pointed to his son and San ridiculously, "S-S-S-S-SOOOOON! Just who is this girl? This amazingly attractive, beastly in nature yet jungle exotic girl you brought home with you? The girl with the sniffing fetish!"

"Sniffing fetish?" San asked as he looked to the man confused, and then looked to Alex, "What is he talking about?"

Alex sighed, knowing full well what was to come of this, as he answered, "It's nothing, San." And then he looked to his family as he answered, "Um… everyone. This is San," then he turned to San and directed to his family, "San… this is my family."

San, seeing his family for the first time, was a bit shocked. Here, she had thougth that Alex's family were sort of like him, a bunch of strange survivors, but instead, they weren't at all like him. Although they were family to him, like him, they were foreign, and very different. But forgetting her confusion, she had seen humans do a sort of formal bow to one another when one family greeted another. She had seen this done in the Iron-Town, and decided to employ it instead of just sitting there like a statue.

She gently bowed her head and closed her eyes, as she gently spoke softly to them, "It is an honor to meet the family of the one who saved my forest."

"Saved your forest?" Aunt Jun asked, but then surprise came to her face, as she looked to Alex and San back and forth, "So wait. If she… then that… she's…"

Alex nodded his head, as he answered, seeming a bit sheepish but calm to his stunned aunt, "Yes, Aunt Jun. She's the um… Princess Mononoke… of the legend you told us about."

Karin, forgetting her outburst, looked at the girl in awe, and finally spoke out, "She's beautiful, Alex."

Anju, on the other hand, walked over to San, and knelt down. She just stared blankly at San, which made the wolf girl a bit uneasy, as she merely asked, "Is… something wrong?"

Then, without warning, Anju reached up… and traced her fingers on San's cheek tattoos. "These feel real enough," she commented as she asked San, "You do these yourself?" But all that the Wolf Girl did was blush, as her cheeks were touched like that. It was similar to how Alex rubbed his nose to her cheek and her to him.

Alex sat up as everyone gathered around her, but tried to pull them off her, "Guys! Could you not crowd her!" They didn't hear him, as they were busy embroiled in wanting to know more about the girl that had just come in to their home. Alex just sighed as he rubbed his forehead in frustration as he mumbled, "Well, I can't blame them considering I'd probably due the same thing if things started out differently between us."

But just then, Isaac hopped on to the boy's shoulder, and whispered, "Alex."

"What is it?" the boy asked as he looked to his furry companion.

"Look at San's shoulder," the fox-squirrel stated as he pointed his paw on the wolf girl's shoulder.

Alex took a quick gander at San, and that's what he noticed it. It was small and barely noticeable, but it didn't take him long ot notice it. There, slowly slithering on San's shoulder, was a small piece of thorn vine. "San," he stated as he knelt down, getting the wolf girl's attention as he pointed to her right shoulder, "Where'd you get that vine on your shoulder?"

"Vine?" she asked, confused and then looked to her shoulder, "That must have come from the Amishi village I went through. How did…?" she asked herself as she reached to grab it.

But Alex got to it first as he grabbed it, and brought it close to him, closely examining it. And then a look of concentrated and controlled fear was in his eyes. San had mentioned that the vine had come from the Amishi village, and he had just been attacked there by Baras. It meant only one thing: Baras was attacking the Amishi People back in the past, and he was here, in the future not doing anything about it.

Suddenly, the vine snapped much more alive, as it wrapped around Alex's opened palm… and thorns grew it. They shot into his flesh, digging in as blood was drawn out. Alex winced at this as he jumped up and pulled the vines off his hand, grunting and nearly shouting in pain, "Son of a…! stupid weed!"

Mr. Killian shot over there, and looked to his son's hand, "Son. You okay? Here let me take a look at that."

As his father looked at his son's wound, an even terrible thought struck the boy's mind. A most terrible thought invaded his thoughts as he looked to San, and asked, "San?"

San looked to him, and saw the look of fear in his eyes, as she asked, "Alex? What is it?"

"If you could get through time through the tree," Alex started to ask, insinuating on what his fears were.

But all that stopped as soon as everyone heard it from outside in the backyard. The two teens looked at they heard the sound of what appeared to be moaning or groaning. The Killian family heard it as well, and thought that Anju had left her TV on and was playing either the Grudge or some bad zombie movie. But the two teen warriors from the past knew better than that, as the two shot up and ran towards the hallway.

Mr. Killian shouted, "Son, what's going on?"

"Trouble," was all Alex shot back, as he turned around, "Just stay inside, and don't come out! Whatever's out there, it's dangerous!" And he bolted right after San, leaving his family slightly confused, without him knowing, having Karin come right after him.

* * *

**Outside**

The two teens ran right for the backdoor, but Alex stopped San, to turn her around for a moment. He looked at her silently, telling her to draw out her dagger. Understanding him, she nodded as he let go of her, and she drew out her bone blade. She looked to him, and he nodded, but he didn't have his machete, seeing it was back up in his room along with his duffel bag. He stepped back and consciously concentrated for a moment, as he brought his arms up and balled up his fists. The jewel on the bracelet glowed orange for only a moment, until the black ooze began to flow out, encompassing his chest, stomach, arms, and neck. And in an instant, his arm, chest and neck armor manifested, along with his sandy orange hair and black and yellow eyes. Now, they were both ready for what was out there.

Alex nodded, and she opened the door, as they both rushed out, with Isaac hopping off the boy's shoulder. When they got out there, they saw what was causing all the moaning. In the backyard, slowly approaching them, were plant-based humanoids, all coming towards the house like zombies. They were all coming from the Sacred Tree, as what was present were vine like cables leading them back to it. Clearly, San and Isaac were no longer the only ones, aside from Alex, who could use the tree to go back and forth through the timeline.

Alex snarled, letting his half-demon side out for a while, "Let's send them back!"

San didn't hesitate as she charged forward, crying out, "AAAAAAH!" she then went for the first one, as it suddenly noticed her, but it was too late, as she slashed it's throat clean. The plant beast's head fell right to the floor as it collapsed on its knees as she went for the next one.

Alex started for a moment, unaware that one was coming from behind him, as he shrugged, "Or, do that. That… that usually works too."

But then he noticed the creature from behind him. Seeing it try to swipe at him, he dodged it, spun around the beast, and used the spike like claws on his right elbow to dig into its back. There, he slashed through, cutting it diagonally to the left, severing the top from the bottom. The beast went down, as Alex ran for the next one.

One by one, the two young warriors did away with the beasts with their blades. The plant beasts fell down without even as so much as putting up a decent fight, just trying to outnumber the two. But with San's speed and agility, and Alex's demon power and martial art skills, the battle wasn't long before it was over. It was in their discovery, the vines that followed after the beasts were the only things that connected them form the past to this time. Once they had figured it out, San made it to the vines, and with one slice from each of them, the beasts died out completely. Now, the two just stood side by side, sweating and taking time to breath at this moment.

Alex huffed, "Ha! Ah, they're not so tough."

"Not tough?" San scoffed in question as she turned to Alex, with a cocked eyebrow, "You were having trouble trying to get a few off of you."

Alex huffed as he scoffed, "Well, you had trouble with that one grabbing at your…" his eyes went wide with worry as he motioned, "San, your arm!"

"Wha?" she asked, and then looked to her left arm. She noticed there were slash cuts on her arm, and shrugged, "It's not that serious; they're not bleeding badly."

"Still, I should treat them," Alex insisted.

San shook her head as she turned towards the tree, "There's no time. The village and Tsume… they're still back…" but her words were stopped as Alex embraced her from behind, startling her dearly. Blushing at this sign of affection, she stuttered as she asked, "A… Alex? What are you…?" Then suddenly, the black ooze engulfed her upper body, covering her left arm and hand, as well as from her waist to neck, and following after was the golden orange armor. Finally, after being startled enough, she pulled away, looking back to Alex for answers, "What the hell were you doing?"

"Look," Alex pointed to her, showing that half of his armor was gone, leaving only tight skin black ooze.

She looked at herself now, and saw what Alex had done to her, or rather, for her. The black ooze had become skintight from her neck to waist, as well as on her arm from shoulder to fingertips, almost as if she wore nothing there at all. She had a golden yellow neckpiece that was around her neck, looking more like a woman's necklace of sorts. Her chest and back were protected by what looked like a golden yellow skin tight vest on that showed like a V string one piece bathing suit, with the front opened, and the back opening up to a V of sorts. Where her left shoulder connected to her body, a one foot horn shot up. Her left shoulder was armored in golden yellow armor shaped like a jacket shoulder, and on her forearm was a golden yellow armored armguard, as well as a left armored glove. It was a female version of Alex's armor.

She was in complete amazement as she lifted her left hand up, and flexed the fingers. Sure enough, it was her hand in this armor, and the Wolf Princess was in complete shocked awe at this. She looked to Alex as she asked, "How did…?"

"Honestly, I don't know how I did it," Alex shrugged as he walked over to her, "It just happened on instinct, I guess. But still… it should give you some protection, at least."

She smiled to him as she placed her hand over her heart as she nearly whispered, "Thank you."

"Alex!" Karin called out, catching both of their attention. The two turned and saw Karin, popping up with Alex's past duffel bag along with his cloak wrapped up in it. She ran up to them both, and looked to her brother as she asked, "You're going back to fight whatever those things are, aren't you?"

Alex sighed deeply, not sure if his sister would understand at all, and nodded as he answered, "More than that, I'm afraid." He scratched the back of his head, and thought about how to explain it, even as he saw his father, aunt and cousin popping up as he explained, "Back there, I need to help ensure that our world has a future. The only way for me to do that is to go back there. I know it's a dangerous… and rather weird timeline back there, but it's counting on me to go back and try to fix the things that need fixing." San looked at Alex, knowing full well this was killing him on the inside to say goodbye to his family. However, that dropped as he stated, "But I'll come back now and then to see you guys. I'll be sure to tell you all the stories."

"Really?" Karin cheered up as she ran up to him and hugged him, "Oh, thank you."

"SOOOON!" Mr. Killian called out to his son, getting all three of their attention, "Just make sure that when you do go back, don't alter too much. I don't want mankind turned into blue Gillmen and the world ruled over by ape-people!"

This earned a sweat drop from everyone, as San asked in confused, "Gillmen? Ape people?"

Isaac, who was standing next to the underground entrance to the Sacred Tree's heart, watched the whole thing, and innerly groaned, 'Alex was right. His dad is nuts.'

* * *

**Next Chapter: Unexpected Guest Arriving; Destiny and Battles Await pt. 2**


	31. Destiny Awaits pt2

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Unexpected Guest Arriving; Destiny and Battles Await pt. 2**

* * *

**Back in the Past**

Isaac was running as fast as his Giant Beast paws could allow him now. In his transformed state, his power and speed was increased just as equal as Moro's, or one of her cubs. Which was going to be needed for the battle up ahead in the Amishi Village. San rode atop his back, as she would if riding one of her brothers, even flexing her hand in her new breastplate and arm armor. It was strange to the Wolf Girl as she looked at the piece of armor that adorned her chest and arm that was wielded by her human companion, who ran alongside her and Isaac. And yet, it felt comfortable, secure… warm, as it was from him.

Unfortunately, the scenery didn't allow romance, as the Wolf-Princess was a bit pissed off at the moment.

"Let me get this straight, Alex," San began, furrowing her brow from sight, as she was hiding a look of annoyance on her face, "Baras ran into you, threw you back into your own time…" and then glared at him angrily as she shouted, "… AND YOU LOST THE BEADS FROM THE SPIRIT KINGS? HOW DENSE CAN YOU BE, ALEX?"

"I was planning to go back and retrieve them," Alex answered, "But I couldn't leave my family without an explanation."

"You couldn't have made it shorter?" San complained, shaking her head and frowning in disgust, "I swear, you take too long when it comes to making decisions. _That_… and you had to force me to go into a human home." She heard a chuckle escape her outlander companion, as she scolded, "What's so funny? I demand to know what you find so hilarious!"

"You keep saying going into my house is a bad thing," Alex replied, smiling to her, confusing her silently, and finished, "But in truth, you were just happy to get the chance to meet my family. Weren't you?"

Desperately to hide her blushing face, the wolf girl shot back at him, "Spout out such foolishness, Human, and I'll tear your still steaming guts from your stomach!" it was then that she spotted him smiling again, and frowned, "Now what is so amusing?"

"Nothing," Alex answered, "It's just good to hear that kind of threat from you again."

Isaac groaned at this as he growled out, "Ugh! Will you two stop with the lovey-dovey talk already? Focus more on a battle strategy once we get to the Amishi village!"

The two unofficial lovers stopped their verbal squabble as they were refocused on the mission at hand. Unfortunately, Alex had tripped over a massive root, and going face first into the ground. Isaac stopped as he and San looked to him, and realized what he had tripped on.

"Alex," San called to him as he groggily got back to his feet, "Look at that!"

The outlander looked at her confused, and then looked to what he had tripped on. It was only until then did he get what she had told him of. There, uprooting from the ground, a massive black oozed root was growing out from the ground. All around the area, from what they saw, massive inhumanly shaped roots and vines, nearly swarming all over the place. In truth, it looked like a complete gardener's worst nightmare at this moment.

However, what caught their attention was a bonfire in a small ravine clearing. "There," Alex pointed out as he ran to the bonfire. "There might be someone over there that could help us. Hey!" he called out to whoever was there. San sighed, knowing full well he wouldn't listen to reason on this, and hopped off Isaac as the two followed him.

As soon as he was there, he stopped, ang gasped in in horror; paling at the sight that he wished he didn't see. San and Isaac stopped as they both saw Alex paled face. "Alex?" San asked, looking at the outlander's face in concern, "Alex, what's…?" but was cut off as she now had a good look at what he saw.

There, tied to the trees in vines, were wandering peddlers, and they weren't in the best of conditions. In fact, they weren't even alive anymore, considering their bodies had become as skinny as sticks, and their skin was more of a brownish purple. Their faces were all in agonizing fear, almost as if their last moments were filled with fear as the life was being sucked right out of them.

San and Alex looked all around the bodies, seeing any signs as to what happened. The cart they were traveling on had been destroyed in a crash of sorts, and the horses pulling them were seen far back, completely sucked dry of any life at all. "They must've been traveling through here and got caught up in the vines," Alex deduced to himself.

He spotted San crouched over to one of the bodies with her back turned to him. He looked at her with sympathy, knowing full well she must have been mourning the travelers, as he let a sad smile cross his face, 'She must be praying for them. She really does have a soft spot for them.' he then asked aloud, "San, are you praying…?"

"Here we go," San stated as she got up, but she had gotten a hold of a quiver of arrows as well as an old-fashioned bow. "They must have been trafficking weapons for nearby samurai," she explained, smirking at the bow, "This might come in handy."

Alex sweat dropped on that as he mentally grimaced, 'Oh, that's all she was doing.'

* * *

**Amishi Village**

The trio had to be very quiet once they reached the out skirted hill that led to the Amishi Village. From what they saw, the vines from where they found the wandering weapon merchants, led outside that area and to where Alex found the lookout tower to where he first met Gisan. And from that area, he found his way to the Amishi Village. But now, instead of a giant demon boar to follow him to the village, the small vines that they had followed were becoming larger and more darkened in their rotting colors than before.

The two human warriors and Fox-Squirrel spirit sprinted as fast as they could, while retaining much silence on their trek. The last thing they wanted to do at this moment was to let the enemy spot them, which annoyed San a little in the end. She fumed silently behind Alex, "I hate all this sneaking around," and glared at the boy in front of her, "We should at least shout out a battle cry."

"And let the enemy know where we're coming," Alex replied not too fond of the idea, "Preventing us from even finding where Baras has all the Amishi People," and then stopped as he looked to San, "… and to find your brother."

San stopped suddenly, as she remembered that Tsume had disappeared when she first arrived in the village. If something did happen to him, she had to know if he was alright or not. Now that she understood, she nodded, "Okay. We'll go in quietly." but shot him a glare as she threatened, "But if we get caught, even if we went in your way, I'll use my knife to cut your face off, and use it to wipe my…."

"Oh, will you two knock it off," Isaac growled, going slowly into the village, with the now silenced teens following after him.

Once they had snuck into the village by the clouds covering the light of the moon, they were able to search around. To Alex, it seemed like only yesterday that he had arrived here, and where his journey had started. But now, it didn't looked the same as there seemed to be a few things wrong with it much to both the Outlander's and Wolf Princess's better instincts. For one thing, no one seemed to be around; no workers, no women bringing baskets to or from their homes, not even doing laundry at all, not even the men were around. No sign of Gisan, the Elders, the Oracle, not even Kaya. The torches were all burnt out, probably about for hours, and left unchecked. But the most bizarre thing… was that giant thorny vines were growing out of the ground, and encompassing everything all around them and through the houses as well. It was evident that Baras had been here and was probably still around.

As San looked around, she noticed Alex just standing still for a moment; his fists clenched tightly, as well as his head looking down. Realizing this wasn't the best situation, she walked over to him, "Alex, we can't afford to just stand here, and…" and stopped before she reached out to his shoulder, "Alex?"

"Why did I take that route through this village?" Alex asked himself, and looked upward, seemingly blaming himself, "If I had taken a different route…"

"Alex!" San shouted as she grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around, "You don't know that for certain!"

"Yes, you really should know better," a familiar voice filled the air above the three, "I already knew of this village beforehand; I'm just making a quick meal out of these people."

The trio looked above them, and saw a most unearthly sight at this. From above them, being held up by twisted tree trunks spreading as high into the sky as possible, was a giant sphere made of intertwined vines. And there, dangling on it with her throne all made up, was none other than Baras, the Forest witch. Isaac transformed and scurried onto Alex's shoulder; obviously the woman wasn't someone he wanted to be noticed by. But the teens weren't exactly in the position to run away at the time.

Alex nearly broke his teeth as he sneered at the plant witch, "Where's Kaya? Where's the Amishi People? What have you done to them?"

Baras simply smiled a sultry one as she gazed at the boy, "Defeat me… and they'll all not share the fate of those before this village."

San snarled as she threw the bow and arrows aside, and just whipped out her dagger. She roared aloud, charging, "GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER, DEMON!"

The witch smiled evilly at the foolish wolf girl's assault, and just clasped her hands together gently. Suddenly, enlarged tentacle-like vines shot towards San, attempting to skewer her on the spot. However, the demon witch didn't expect that the wolf girl would be able to read the vine's movements so well. For when all the vines tried to strike her, she easily dodged out of the way. Even some of the vines tried to get at Alex as well, but he easily jumped and dodged them, as he hopped onto one of the bigger vines, and ran up on them. San did the same, but jumped from vine to vine, doing her best to reach Baras in order to finish her off. She cried out, bringing the dagger over head as she jumped right at Baras… and shoved the dagger all the way in to her heart. San stood there, pushing her body forward to further the dagger in, making sure that the surprised woman's face would finally lose all life, as well as the rest of her body.

"Charging in head first," Baras spoke out, looking down at the girl… without even showing a hint of pain on her face, "You're so much like the wolf whore _she_ told me about."

San's eyes went wide with shock, 'Wha… Why isn't she dead? That's a fatal wound I just inflicted. Instant death in a matter of seconds.' She tried to dig the blade in further, or at least twist it around, but the Forest Witch just seemed to chuckle at the futile attempt, until San shouted, "Why wont you die, stupid human?"

"Maybe because I'm not human, stupid wolf girl," Baras taunted.

She chuckled until she snapped her fingers, causing more vines to come out. They wrapped around San's arms and legs, pulling her away yelling out curses. Until one of the vines wrapped around erh throat, nearly choking her as she tried desperately to fight the vines back.

Baras chuckled as her plant throne was brought up to the struggling girl. She stood up as she strode her way over to her, caressing her prisoner's body. "Such a young, healthy, and otherwise flawless body," she complimented, stroking her fingers down San's chest to below her belt, causing the wolf princess to be flustered, "I'm rather envious of you. A savage, raised by wolves to hate her own kind, and she ends up a flawless beauty."

This violation of her body from someone as disgusting as her made San even more angry as she tried to lash out, "Back off, you…"

But she was suddenly hushed when Baras grabbed her by the throat. "What a foul mouth you have there, Princess. It's beyond me as to why a handsome young man such as the one you're with would stay with you."

Finally, San managed to get out, "Me? With that half-wit insane human?"

"I don't know about the insane part, but I will agree with the halfwit part," the Forest Witch taunted, as she pulled from her busom the beads of the Spirit Kings, "Just look what he lost just moments before we met." she then reached up to San once again, and roughly traced her hand down San's right side, from neck to thigh, taunting even more, "I think after I kill the boy, I'll make you my personal stress toy. Raping you until you're weak enough for me to…"

"ROOARRWW!" Isaac in his Beast Form, lunged right at Baras, sinking his teeth into the right side of her neck. As soon as he heard the neck snap, he smirked at the kill, and released her dangling lifeless body. He hopped over to San, and ripped at the vines, "Glad to see you're alright."

"Isaac, get out of here," San warned him, "I don't think she's…"

But she didn't get a chance to finish that last sentence, as vines shot out, entangling Isaac's massive form. Much to both their horror, Baras stood up, with both wounds unhealed, but not phasing her at all from it. Though she was pretty angered at them both, "First a knife through the chest, and now this. Honestly, wild animals are not.." but she stopped, looking around, and then back at the two, "Alright, where's the human?"

The two didn't answer, and she would have interrogated them both painfully, if not for a fast whooshing sound coming right at her. In blinding speed, Alex's machete had been thrown right at Bara's neck, slicing right through it, severing her head from her body, as the now stunned but lifeless corpse of the Forest Witch fell to the bottom.

Satisfied of the killer blow delivered, the outlander youth sighed in relief, "Well, that done…" he then reached for a cluster of vines from the giant ball he grasped on to, and pulled on it hard enough, that it broke into splinters.

As the vines became undone, the ones that held both Isaac and San began to loosen up, freeing them. Before gravity brought her down, San pulled on one of the vines, slingshooting herself to Isaac as she hopped onto his back. The Uber Fox-Squirrel immediately pounced from one vine to the other. Alex, now fully armored from neck to toe, did the same as he followed after them. But once they reached the ground, they saw what was now slowly coming out of the vines. Entangled in them, only unconscious, were the Amishi villagers, including Jisan and Kaya, and much to San's relief, Kiba as well.

As soon as the Amishi and wolf were gently laid down by the now dead vines, the three heroes raced to help as they could. San immediately rushed to her brother, as she cradled him by his jaw, while pettng him on his head with her other hand. "Kiba? Are you alright?" she pleaded with her brother, "Please… please, say something."

He couldn't talk at all, much less even try to respond with a human accent. All he could do was open his eyes to look at San with a sad puppy dog expression on his muzzled face, and whimpered in both sadness and agony. Even as she set his head down gently as he laid down on his belly, whimpering and moving slowly in pain as his face showed much pain.

As soon as Alex walked on over, after making sure the villagers were resting, he knelt down next to her. Surprised by his arrival, she looked away as she tried to hide how she was feeling at this point. The last thing she wanted was to allow Alex to see her weakness in her emotions. But not able to hide it in her voice, she only muttered, "He's a proud wolf of my mother's clan… and now he's barely alive."

Alex looked at him all carefully as he knelt down and examined the wolf. He then looked to San as he stated, "He's pretty out of it, but like everyone else, he seems alright."

"Don't kid yourself," San stated, her arms crossed and looked away as she looked to the outskirts of the village, "He may not look like it, but he's in tremendous pain at this point."

Alex knew that she was worried about her brother, and then pulled her up, in surprise, as he attempted to get her mind off the depressing matter. "San, there's something I think you should see," he stated to her, as he led her to where Isaac was, overlooking Baras's dead body.

Once they were there, San, who didn't want to look at the woman, looked to him in slight annoyance at this thing, "So? She's dead. What's so important about this filthy witch?"

Alex knelt down as he ran his fingertips into the blood, looking ot her as he asked, "The blood…" he then brought his hand up, tapping the fingertips together as they made a sticky sound, "Hear that? The way the blood's all sticky. It's coagulated. And from the looks of it, it's been wellover five days since it happened." He looked to her as he confessed, "Which shouldn't even be possible."

San looked to her companion, completely confused by this as she asked, "Why not?" Unknown to them both, or even to Isaac, something slinked behind San… something with root-like vines.

Alex turned his attention back to the body as he looked at it seriously, "Because blood doesn't do that until _after_ you're dead."

"Ack! Ugh!" San cried out, getting both Alex's and Isaac's attention, as they looked to her.

She began convulging, arching her back backwards, gasping, until finally, she limped forward, slumping her arms and head downward. The boys thought she was in some weird trance or something, until she stood back upwards. It was only then that they got a good look at her. Tightened around her waist, shoulders, and breasts were green thorned vines wrapped around her, and on her head was a blonde colored rose… with a leaf like a beak and two dangerous-looking red eyes.

San chuckled maliciously as she seemed to speak, but in Baras's voice, "I must admit, her body's not only beautiful, but it feels powerful… even if she's a mortal girl."

Both of them went wide eyed as Isaac pieced it together, "So that's it. That blonde girl wasn't even the real Baras. You are."

"What?" Alex asked Isacc, looking at him confused, "What are you saying?"

"That flower on San's head," Isaac pointed out, "That's the real Baras!"

Baras, possessing San, chuckled, "Yes. That's right. After Somiesa took my power and separated me from my body, he turned me into this flower. For nearly a century, I was powerless to move about on my own. And my body became nothing but ash into the wind. But after when Somiesa mysteriously died, by your hands, Boy, I was able to free myself, and obtain a body, even if it was dead for less than a week." Looking at their confusion, she simply answered, "When I was human, I possessed the power to control others. But now like this, my possession powers are beyond fighting against." she smiled, using San's face, "And my hatred for those who serve or protect the Spirit Kings has never been greater."

Alex's fist tightened with anger at this moment, as he snarled at Baras, "Go ahead, hate me as much as you want. But I'll be damned if you manipulate San like this!"

He shot his vine whips from his back, all four of them, as they tried to trap San. But, this was different than his other opponents, as she easily jumped back in a back flip, and lanced in a crouched position from the first two vines. And then she slashed the third vine away, but grabbed the final one, wrapping her wrist around it. Luckily, it was with the arm that he had armored up. So with a little concentration, he was able to recall the armor back through the vine, re-armoring his left arm and chest, returning San to normal. Now it was only a matter of overpowering San, considering his strength, it would be easy. He was about to pull her back, but he felt a great force to it; a strength untold even by him as unimaginable as it was. It was almost… demonic.

'Wha… what's going on?' he thought as he struggled with the whip, 'Why can't I overpower her? Even if Baras possesses her, it's not nearly that strong. So… what the hell's going on?'

Baras laughed at this turn of events, seeing the uncertainty on the boy's face, "Eheheheheheh. I know exactly what you're thinking: why is this girl so powerful? To tell the truth, it's not even my own strength. It's as if there's something inside of her… something… demonic. I'll bet anything Moro would've known about it." She then sighed as she looked to the boy, "Though obviously your beloved San doesn't know anything at all. And neither do you… Alexander Killian."

Alex raised an eyebrow as he asked, interrogating, "How do you know my name? and more importantly… how do you know about San's true name?"

Seeing she had struck a nerve, Baras smirked through San as she answered, "As I'm connected to a host body, I'm connected Mind, Body… Heart and Soul as well." She then shot forward to him, grabbing him by the collar, as she pulled close to him, almost close enough to tough his lips, as she smiled sultry, answering him, "So I know… everything." She then pushed it farther as she replied, "I also know, deeply and intimately, how she feels about you." seeing the blush on his face, she delved deeper, answering him, "Despite her hatred for humans, she likes you. Nay, I dare say… she loves you. She's never felt this way about anyone: Man, Beast, Spirit, or even Demon. And she would do anything, give anything, or sacrifice anything just to be with you." and then finally, sensing the boy's uneasiness with the truth, she blabbed out, "On top of all that, like a dog in heat, she wants to do _this_ and _that_ with you."

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What?" Alex nearly yelped out, blushing deeply from ear-to-ear, as he asked with a slight trickle of blood from his nose, "She's really thinking about that?"

"HA! GOT YOU NOW!" Baras shouted, as all the vines latched off San, and she pounced off the unconscious Wolf Girl. She launched herself right at him, shouting, "And now I'll take over _your_ body, boy!" and latched herself right on his head, cackling aloud for a now conscious San, and worried Isaac, to all hear, "HEEHEEHEE-HAAHAAHAA! The power of the Half-Demon that took down Okoto and in possession of the Spirit Kings, Somiesa and Shisha Gami… IS ALL MINE!" But she stopped for a moment, looking confused, "Wha? What is this?"

It was then that everyone, even the Amishi People who were waking up, all saw what had happened. At the last moment, Alex had armored up his whole head, smirking, "I knew at the moment I showed weakness, you'd try and possess me. I was quite the temptation."

"YOU TRICKED ME!"

"Yeah," the outlander mumbled, and grabbed Baras with his armored hands, and pulled at both upper and lower parts of her mouth, "Not only did you mess with these people, and San's brother. But… YOU MESS WITH SAN! PERIOD!"

AAAAAAH! R-R-R-R-RIIIP!

With one powerful pull away, Alex ripped Baras in half. Green blood-like substance splashed on both ends, as this was done. The yellow eyes of the Forest Witch's form rolled to the back of its flowered skull, signifying that the witch was dead. The battle was finally over, and everyone was alright.

San, who was on her knees, holding her arm, looked at Alex's heroic and posed state. She couldn't picture such a scene from a battle such as this. Until….

GROWL!

The growl that emanated from the area… had come from the stomach of the young future outlander. The armor and ooze film on his head retracted, as the boy slumped to his knees, with a look of near-exhaustion written on his face. "Ugh!" Alex groaned as he held his stomach, "I should have eaten that pizza! Why? Why! WHY? Why didn't I at least eat just one or two slices?"

The sight would have made San rush in and bonk him on the head, but for now she just smiled at his silly behavior.

* * *

**Back in the Future**

**Killian Residence**

With the battle and the Amishi recovering, the teens and beasts were dead tired. It was Alex who suggested that he take San back to his place, while Isaac would help with returning Kiba back to the West Woods. Once that was done, Isaac would return back to the household and join with the others, just as soon as he'd explain things to Rukia. As soon as they had come back, Alex had told the Wolf Princess to go ahead and use the bath and shower, and get ready for bed. Currently, he was sitting at his desk, dressed with only black baggy sweat pants as his pjs, deep in thought, with Isaac sleeping in an opened drawer, with shirts and shorts smooshed together to make a little nest bed for himself. The little fox-squirrel was fast asleep, while the young boy looked at the beads he had regained. It was unclear as to what he was thinking, only that he was thinking pretty deeply.

However, he wasn't too deep in thought, as he heard his door open up. He turned around just to see San had finished her bath and was now dressed for bed.

Her clothing had been folded neatly and was now put down on a chair in his room. She was currently dressed in an oversized grayish white long sleeved sweat shirt, and was still using a towel to dry her hair off. However, much to Alex's dismay and embarrassment, she wasn't fully clothed, as from down below… she wasn't wearing any panties. This was made evident when she had placed her clothing and jewelry down, and bent over… just to give Alex a glimpse at her bare butt.

The Wolf Girl let out a deep relaxed sigh as she smiled and stated, "I have to admit, this indoor waterfall and lake you call the shower and tub was amazing. A bit confusing on how to use but still, the bath was simply wonderful."

Alex just whipped around, showing his back to her as he stumbled, "Well… I'm glad you… feel refreshed."

However, he took a slight glance at her, but was now just staring at San once more as she was finishing drying her hair. Her hair was a little damp and it just seemed really weird that he was staring at her as she was drying it. It was then that San caught him just staring, and asked with a miffed look with a cocked eyebrow, "Is something wrong? Why are you just staring at me like that?"

He shook his head as he was back in thought, "Oh, um, nothing, San. Nothing at all." He then cleared his throat as he glanced down at the beads, blushing, 'Man. She really looks sexy in that.'

San looked around the room, deeply confused about something. But then turned to Alex as she asked him, "Um, Alex? Where do I sleep?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he shot up from his seat, as he nodded, "Oh, that's right. You usually sleep in a cave; forgot all about that lifestyle." He pointed to his bed, "Here, you can sleep in my bed." He then walked over to the closet as he pulled out a black and flannel sleeping bag.

San walked over to the bed and sat down, but stopped as she felt the bed. She bounced on it, up and down, almost amazed to be on a bed. Her wonder on the bed was easy to notice, as she smiled and nearly stifled a giggle, "This is amazing! It's like sleeping on a cloud." But she stopped as he looked at to what he was doing and asked, "Um, Alex? Don't you have another bed?"

He shook his head as he said, "Nah, I only have one bed.", but he waved his hands as he smiled at her, "But I can sleep on the floor; it's alright."

But the wolf girl shook her head as he leaned over, "I object! That's unacceptable; this is your room!"

But Alex just lightly shook his head, "I don't mind; it's good for my back anyway." He then laid the sleeping bag down

It was then that Wolf Princess thought about it, and slightly blushed at it as she fiddled with a blanket. She knew it was a little weird, not just for herself but for him as well, but she decided it would work for both of them.

San lowered her head a little as she stated her idea, "If that's so, then I propose a compromise." Alex raised his eyebrow as he listened to her compromise, "Instead…we could…we could share it." She lowered her face into the blanket as she spoke with a muffled voice, desperately hiding her blushing reddened cheeks from his sight, "I…I don't mind at all."

Of course, Alex was a little shocked and blushing as well at her sudden bold proposal as he nearly stuttered, "Aah…I'm telling you I don't mind at all, so go and get some sleep!" And with that said, he slipped into his knapsack. San merely shrugged as she got under the covers of the bed. But not before Alex asked something, "Um, San?"

She got up and crawled to the end of the bed to come eye to eye with him as she asked, "What is it, Alex?"

"Well, it's just that tomorrow, I've gotta register to my new school. I'll probably start the first day as well at that time. That, and I'm still figuring out on how I'll keep going to that and going back to your time to collect the Spirit Kings' essences."

San leaned on the bed's end and simply shrugged, resting her head on her crossed arms, "Don't worry, we'll figure something out by then."

"Well, that's not the only thing I'm pondering on." He sighed as he looked to her, and asked, "Are you sure you want to stick around in this time? I remember that you said you still haven't forgiven us humans for what we've done. What we've been doing."

She thought about it for a little while; in truth, she still couldn't forgive the humans of Iron Town. But… she now knew this was Alex's world, and from what he had told her from his stories, she wanted to know more about it. She nodded with a warm reassured smile, "Of course I do. I want to go and explore this world; see the progression of so many centuries past. That and your aunt and sister said they would take me to go to this place. The Mall, was it?"

Alex just had to smirk at that, but then sadly smiled as he stated the obvious, "Yeah, but you could prove a problem."

The Wolf Princess looked at him confused, and a little bit irked, as she asked, "Why, what's wrong with me?"

He scratched his head as he stated, "Well, it's just that…you don't really know how to interact with other people. Well at some degree, but mostly it's to just attack or threaten."

Then San looked a little disheartened, but covered it in anger as she shot out, "Is it because I was raised in the forest? Not near any humans at all? Is that what you're getting at?"

'Oh crap, she's pissed. Gotta fix this,' he gulped as he sat up, shaking his head, "No, it's not that. It's just people might get the wrong idea about you if someone sees you… act the way you do back home." he scratched the back of his head as he stated, "…and besides…you don't know much about how things work out there. In this time."

But then San leaned in toward Alex, as she stated, almost pleading to him, "So then…so then, we could start knowing more right now." and then, she genuinely smiled long fully at him, "And…I can know more about you. Right now, if you wish."

Alex slightly blushed as he asked, "Eh, what?"

San just looked at him innocently as she stated, "Please, Alex?"

Just looking at hew now made him feel all fuzzy inside, which was a bit of a problem, considering what Baras had told him. She had confessed to him how San truly felt about him when she taunted her ability to delve into her possessed victim's mind and heart. That… and the fact that San leaned at him, caused her baggy shirt to dangle now. He had accidentally taken a glance at the shirt's enlarged collar… and saw her bare breasts dangle.

Now he was really getting embarrassed as he just stuttered, "Come on, now! Just get to bed already!"

And with that, he just got in his sleeping bag and immediately tried to get some sleep. San looked confused at him for a moment and just shrugged, seemingly disappointed that he didn't say yes to her proposal, as she too got under the covers of the bed and tried to sleep.

At least until she saw that he was fast asleep, which was about until midnight.

She slipped out of the bed, walking gently on the carpet floor with her bare feet. She stopped as she knelt down to the young boy's sleeping form, looking at him with saddened eyes. Not because of him, but of something else… something personal.

It was faint, but he heard the sound of the sleeping bag opening up.

And someone crawling inside of it.

It was then that he felt it; a female body pressed up from behind his back. Alex's eyes went wide with surprise, as he spoke up, startled, "San?" he tried to turn around as he stuttered in question, "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Please, don't turn around!" she nearly shouted, causing to flinch and stay to where his gaze was in front. They were both quiet, until San spoke up again, "I'm sorry for yelling like that. I just feel… so damn embarrassed about this."

Finally, after a few seconds, Alex asked, "So, um… couldn't sleep?"

"Uh huh," San answered, but then buried her face into the back of his neck, "I just… I had this dream. I was standing in the forest. Darkened by night, I try to find my way back to my clan's cave, hoping to find my brothers, even my mother." she then slightly blushed, finishing, "… even you." Alex blushed at that for a moment, remembering what Baras had told him about San's secret feelings for him, but stopped as he heard San's voice. It was filled with a lonely sadness as she explained, "But no one's there. Everyone or anyone, they're nowhere at all." Alex felt her body begin to tremble, as her voice quivered, "I don't want to open my eyes and find no one there… I'm tired of being alone. It's cold. It's…"

But then she suddenly saw Alex stir for a moment, and turn around, despite San's objections, "Alex, I told you, don't! if you don't, I'll…" but she stopped as soon as he closed his eyes, and wrapped his arms around her, as she felt his bare chest pressed to her, feeling his body heat, and hearing his heart, "Alex?"

"Don't talk," he finally answered, as he did his best to comfort her. "Remember what I told you back in the forest. Back when I thought there wasn't a way to get back to this time?" he then smiled as he answered, "I told you I'd stay with you back in the forest. That promise applies to anywhere we are." he then opened his eyes as they both looked eye to eye, "And I make a new one right now: I will never leave your side. Ever."

San's face nearly went red at that moment, but her eyes were wide with surprise. But she closed them, as she allowed a small smile on her face to appear, and buried her face next to his neck, whispering, "Thank you… Alex."

The two lay close together, wrapped in the sleeping back, but kept each other warm with each other's bodies. Until finally, they fell asleep, despite all they had gone through that night. They had found peace with each other, even aware or unaware of their unknowing bond growing deeper and deeper, that would one day transcend space and time.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Exploring the New World; First Days, Impressions, and a Secret Found**


	32. A Dark Secret Discovered pt1

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 30: Exploring the New World; First Days, Impressions, and a Secret Found pt.1**

* * *

**Present Day Tokyo, Japan**

**Killian Residence**

**The Next Morning**

In Alex's room, the sunlight began to clearly draw in, bringing illumination to the room. It was also close enough to almost awaken the form of two slumbering deniable time-crossed future lovers. Just like from last night, both Alex and the wolf girl, San, laid close together, wrapped in the sleeping back, but kept each other warm with each other's bodies. From what had happened for both in nearly a month or two, they had easily fallen asleep last night, despite all they had gone through that night. They had found peace with each other, even aware or unaware of their unknowing bond growing deeper and deeper, that would one day transcend space and time.

And at the moment, the two were sprawled out a bit. Alex was lying on the floor with his back to it; his right arm out as his head was titled to the right as well. San, on the other hand, was resting her head on his chest, with only half her shirt pulled down, allowing her shoulder to be exposed. The sun's rays hit her face lightly, stirring her awake with a soft moan.

"Mmm, morning already?" she asked herself, propping herself up on her hands. She looked around trying to remember where she was, and it all came flooding back, "Oh, that's right. After the battle… I came back with Alex, and…" San's cheeks blushed from remembering last night, as well as Alex's words to her, as he held her in his arms.

* * *

"_Remember what I told you back in the forest. Back when I thought there wasn't a way to get back to this time?" he then smiled as he answered, "I told you I'd stay with you back in the forest. That promise applies to anywhere we are." he then opened his eyes as they both looked eye to eye, "And I make a new one right now: I will never leave your side. Ever."_

* * *

She smiled gently at his sleeping form, remembering his lips speaking out such words, "And I'll never leave yours." she reached out with her right hand and brushed a few strands of hair away from his face. 'He looks like a cub without a care in the world when he's sleeping,' San mused in her thoughts, and lightly cupped his face with the same hand.

She then leaned down slowly, closing her eyes, as she attempted to secretly kiss him on the lips. But before her eyes closed, she took notice of her right hand slightly shaking, as if she was experiencing a spasm of sorts. She stopped as her eyes went wide with terror, as she saw her right hand. For a moment, her fingernails grew to clawed points, and dark veins appeared to grow from the back of her hand.

She paled at this as she shot up on to her knees, hunching over as she gasped, grabbing her hand. She pressed it against her chest, turning away from Alex, believing that if he woke up, he would look at her in terror. So many humans had feared her, and she didn't mind it if it meant that her forest… her home was safe. But now… if the one human that she had opened her heart up saw her like this now…

'But… but if he sees this,' she gulped, looking at her clawed hand, as she tightened her eyes, her face in frustrated fear, a single tear strung down her cheek, '… what do I do? Why? Why am I cursed? I thought that Shisha-Gami cleansed us both of that hatred. So why… why is this happening now? Just when I…' San opened her eyes to look at Alex's sleeping form, and her fact went from frustration to sadness. Just the thought of perhaps leaving him was painful for her as it was now more than ever.

"Bro!" Kari called out from behind the door, knocking on it, "Are you awake? I can't find San in the guest room. Can I come in?"

'No,' San paled, not wanting anyone to see whatever it was that was happening to her. "No, you can't!" she shot out, but covered her mouth, 'Damn! Why did I shout out like that? Stupid!'

"San?" Kari asked, equally surprised, "San, are you in there? I'm coming in."

"No, wait," San pleaded, still hiding her hand, "D-Don't come in here?"

"Why? What's going on?"

"It's… it's nothing!" San shouted, but the door started to slowly open, even when San shouted, "I TOLD YOU DON'T COME IN HERE!"

But it didn't go listened, as Kari finally stepped in, with a tray loaded with breakfast. "I was wondering where you were this morning," she asked, but then pleasantly smiled as she held up the tray, "I made you and Alex breakfast; I may not look much as a home nurse for Dad's work, but I'm unmatched with the family in the kitchen."

Suddenly, Isaac hopped on over to Kari from the drawers, the bed, and scurried onto her shoulder, chirping, "Mmm-Mmm! That smells divine!" he looked at the dish and asked, "What in your time do you call that delectable delight on that tray you have for us?"

"Sausage biscuit," Kari answered, not too freaked out about Isaac talking to her, but looked to San curiously, "Um, by the way, San? Is something wrong? You're cradling your hand."

San looked distraught now, as she sighed, looking down at her hand. But when she did, it appeared normal again, which surprised her more, 'What? Did I imagine that? What's…'

Kari looked at her confused, as she cocked an eyebrow, "Hey, San. What's…?" but stopped as she saw Alex stirring awake, and slowly sitting up, as he rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes. Kari blushed uncontrollably, as she looked at him shirtless, and with San wearing a baggy sweat shirt that only held on to one of her shoulders, and exposed a little cleavage, not too far from her nipple… well, such things would send someone's mind to the wrong conclusions.

"Um, San…? Big Bro?" Kari asked, gulping at this as she shook, nervous about what she was gonna ask, "Last night, I pretty much figured you guys were close. But, well… last night… when you got back, did you… you know…. Do… _It_?"

That last statement fully awoke Alex, as he blushed from ear to ear, as he stuttered, "Ah! It… it's not like that, Kari! San was just lonely, and you know how wolves sleep together in the same cave, right? Well, it's the same like how you always crawled into bed whenever you had a scary dream."

Kari blinked for a moment, and then shrugged with a smile, "Oh, is that all? Ah, sorry about that misconception."

San blinked for a moment, and looked to Alex for answers, "Um, Alex? What is she talking about? What does she mean by… it?" That only got the two siblings to just blush, but Alex was getting even redder, as San just looked at them even more confused, "What? What is it?"

Isaac just sighed as he hung his head and his ears flopped down, "San, I pray you learn a little bit in this world. You might just get an understanding of some of your country girl actions."

* * *

**Later On**

**Downstairs**

"What?" Alex, now dressed in jeans, a white shirt, white socks, with his boots aside, and his trademark jacket on with the sleeves rolled up and halfway zipped up. He looked distraught by both his sister and Anju now present, "What do you mean I can't register for school? I just got back yesterday; I was only gone for half a month."

"Well, a month and a half ago, school registration started and ended," Anju answered. "And it'll be until by the end of this year, well this is Mid June, so probably by early January of next year, you can register again."

Alex sat on the couch, with his head hung in defeat, "Great. Now I'm being held back a year." he shook his head as he groaned, "This will go on my record when I start my career as a doctor, or when I go to college."

Kari had finished cleaning the dishes as she waltzed on over to her brother. "Man, who knew that San could eat at least seven of those bscuits," she confessed as she plopped on the couch, bringing her legs to rest on her brother's lap, "that… and her table manners are atrocious." but then she smiled admiringly, nearly sighing in delight, "But she's just so beautiful and strong. She's like the ideal female figure for young girls like me."

Alex sighed, mumbling, "Yeah, if you get past the fact that she was raised by wolves, and that she has no modesty when she undresses in front of a guy." he leaned his head back to rest on the back of his couch, and groaned, "Dad's out at some conference with the hospital board, Aunt Jun's on the other side of town taking care of some sort of exorcism for a dig site." He then looked up to Anju, who was the most reasonable in the room, and asked, "What do we do now?"

"Well, unless the Spirit Kings are gonna wait for your graduation, at least now you have more time to focus on that," Anju explained, bringing much sense into this discussion. "And when you can find a time or a break, you can always come back here. Think of it like Field Training, just like Uncle T.L. always does. And if Mom or Uncle Nathan have problems on it, San can join in. She and Isaac can back you up."

Isaac was quiet for a moment, lying on the couch's neck railing, until he spoke up, looking to Alex, "Seriously, she makes a good argument."

Alex nodded at that and replied, "Yeah, and I can tell my Dad and Aunt Jun about the whole thing, first chance I get."

Karin nodded at this, but then smirked as she saw what was coming down the stairs. She then spoke up, "Make that a second priority, Brother. First priority is that I think it's about high time you get Wolf Girl some modern day female clothing."

And just about that time, the siblings, and even Isaac and Anju turned to see what she was talking about.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs was San, as she was looking rather relieved now that she was fully dressed. She was currently wearing a pair of Alex's jeans and one of his black shirts. However, the problem was that the jeans and shirt were a little too big for her as she tied the end of the shirt to tighten it up a bit; although it was pretty obvious that she needed some clothing her size.

She looked to the trio, as she desperately tried to adjust the clothing, "Um… are you sure there's nothing else I can wear? What about my old clothes?"

When the young outlander sat back up, he looked to San and tried to answer as best he could, "Well, back in your time, San, it'd be pretty normal. Well, mostly in the forest and around the beasts. But in villages, or around people, in modern days, I'd say they'd think you'd look more of a cosplay character."

San just cocked an eyebrow at that as she asked, deeply confused, "Cosplay?"

"I'll explain later," Alex mumbled, "Anyways, if you're gonna hang around in this time, you might want to at least look the part. Which means…"

"YAAAAY!" Kari, and a still monotone Anju, shouted with their arms up in glee, "GIRLS GONE SHOPPING WILD!"

As the two girls, well only Kari, were bouncing around the place, San sweat dropped at this, looking to Alex for the answers, "Should I even know what they're talking about?"

"Unless you obtain the addiction of shopping mall fever," the boy grumbled as he rubbed his forehead.

Karin looked to Anju as the two girls and boy were rarin' to go, as Karin asked, "So…did you bring the card?"

Anju sighed as he said, "For a reminder: I'm only supposed to use it in case of an emergency." But then she pulled something out of her purse; a golden card. As she waved it in front of them, Anju then, for the first time, to all three of them, smirked as she finished, "And you're all fortunate that _this_ is an emergency."

Isaac just chuckled at that, but looked to San, seeing that she was back to her normal self. Because this morning, he had gotten a glimpse at something… he hoped never would have happened. Ever.

* * *

**Later that Day**

**Tokyo District**

As the kids made their way through the sidewalks and streets, San, now wearing a pair of sandals for shoes, looked around as she saw the wonders of the modern human world. Humans of modern Asian descents, but a few of different countries were all walking together and commuting to one another. It was similar to how some wolf, boar or ape tribes would commute, but in actuality it was similar to how an ant colony or beehive would interact with one another.

San was even more amazed, but more alerted, by the appearance of strange metal animals running on four wheel-shaped limbs. Allowing her danger She then absent-mindedly pounced on to the street, and stood there, with her dagger in a defensive stance, wanting to greet the metallic creatures, as she shouted, "Come and face me, Demon!"

As Alex and the girls were walking, they heard a honking sound coming from the streets. But also San's battle cry, "Come on, Demon! You dare to roar at me!"

The young man turned and then nearly went white as a sheet as soon as he saw San out on the street, taking a defensive stance with her dagger…and in front of a speeding car. He ran over as fast as he could to get to her before she was road kill. The car was just about to hit the Wolf Girl, until Alex pulled her back.

The Wolf Princess looked at him slightly confused, until he angrily shot to her while holding her by the shoulders as she looked at her eye-to-eye, "What the heck were you thinking, San?"

"The whole street's loaded with metal monsters," San pointed out, as she pointed at them, "I mean, look! They've devoured humans and are being showing through their eyes."

"Ugh, San," Alex groaned as he rubbed his forehead, "Those are cars, not monsters; they're mainly used for transportation."

San's face seemed to light up with understanding, "Wait. You mean, their like metallic carriages." She then looked at the passing vehicles as she resheathed her blade, making sure they were hidden, much to Alex's instructions, "But where are the horses?" She looked to him for the answer, until he gave her a lopsided grin, giving her a hint on it. Her face widened with surprise as she asked, incredulous of the guess, "They run by themselves? Without horses?"

"Bingo, that they do," Alex replied, but warned her, "But those things'll run you over in a split second if no one's paying attention."

"I could have easily dodged them," the wolf girl defended.

"I'm sure you would," he replied, "But if you're not quick enough when it counts, they'll scrape you off the road like sunny side up eggs."

"Hey, lovebirds," Kari shouted, getting their attention. They both noticed that they had walked a good distance from the two, as Alex's sister shot out, waving to them both, "Get a move on! We don't know if they're gonna have a sale or not! Plus, we gotta get San a haircut."

San frowned at that as she shot out, "What's wrong with my hair?"

"It could use some style," Anju droned out.

And with that finished and over with, the two rejoined the two girls and were on their way to their destination. To what Alex, Kari, and Anju called, and what San, the Princess Mononoke of legend, had learned to be the center of all human culture here in the future: The Shopping Mall District.

* * *

**Tokyo Mall**

San was completely amazed by the size of the area that they were walking in. It was like a huge cave, bigger than the ones she had ever gone into, only there were no wolves or even dangerous predators looming around. And she saw that there were so many rooms that her future companion had referred to as stores with a different item or treasure that they gave or sold as they put it.

The group stopped as Kari stopped, stretching her arms out as she shouted, "WELCOME, TO THE SHOPPING MALL OF TOMORROW!" In this action, it echoed all over the place.

San just stood there in amazement as she mumbled, still in awe, "Now this is a cave."

The first place they went to was a strange place called Veronica's Secret, which the Wolf Girl had embarrassingly learned that it was a ladies underwear store. However, the store clerks shoed the boy out, seeing that he wasn't needed in that department, much to Alex's relief. She didn't really had any desire for underwear but it was insisted, mostly by Alex, considering he didn't want to get flashed again back in the pond that day. This made San blush at that, even though she didn't know why but she did anyway. But all in the end, San seemed to be more interested in the spandex workout underwear than anything else.

After a while, the trio went back to their original mission after they had gotten the proper undergarments. Then it was on to stop for some stylish, but nothing too fancy, girl clothing at PC Nickel. Kari and Anju would, and much to displeasing admittance, coach San, the legendary Princess Mononoke, in what most teenage girls wore these days. All Alex had to do was judge for their little 'model'; basically, all he needed to do was to look and see if each outfit looked good on her.

* * *

**PC Nickel**

The young man sat in the waiting area by the changing room of the department store. While both Anju and Kari went from rack to shelf to pick out any clothing that would have been useful to San… or at least look good. Alex was stretched out in the chair with his head lolled back staring at the ceiling.

"I wonder if this is what shopping with a girlfriend feels like," He pondered silently, "I didn't realize trying on clothes was such a long nightmare. At least for Kari, it doesn't take this long."

Anju sighed in exhaustion from all the coaching, "I wanted to make sure San finds her own sense of style, so Kari's making her try on any outfit we can find." She rubbed her temples to rid herself of any uneasy pain in her head at the moment, "It took everything we had to ensure San would try something on. She either completely fought back or tried to run away."

He groaned a little as he popped his back, "If I had the chance to be reborn as a woman, I'd deny the chance right then and there. I don't think I have the strength for this."

Anju sighed as she shot back, "Trust me, after this day, I don't think I ever want to go clothes shopping for a while."

"Still, as boring as waiting is, the view is worth the wait. Eh, Alex?" Anju teased her cousin as she nudged him with her elbow, causing the boy to huff at that.

Still, he had to admit that Anju was right about that. The Wolf Girl had tried many outfits on, and each looked better than the last in his opinion. Even though when it came to dresses, she complained a bit.

_San stepped out in a pencil skirt black dress with spaghetti shoulder straps, "This one's hard to move in."_

_She stepped out with a frilly pink dress, frowning as she growled, "I am not wearing this."_

_She then finally stepped out in a dazzling and sexy red prom dress. She looked like she was a movie star going to the Movie Awards, as she gasped out, "I can barely breathe in this!"_

It was just then that they heard the curtain pull back and the trio saw the Princess. The two girls and boy lifted their heads, but Alex just sat there with his jaw down, as they saw their Princess Mononoke come out with her newest outfit.

San stepped out, looking a bit shy from having to pose in such outfits, including the one she now wore. She was wearing a skin tight white one piece spandex bathing suit piece, with a blue cross going from her chest to her neck and bellybutton, and a turtleneck collar, with a zipper that went down from neck to bellybutton, and had no sleeves on it, exposing her shoulders as well as her slim yet fine toned muscled arms. She wore blue jeans that hung at her hips but was held up by a blue suspender belt. she wore no shoes or her sandals so she was barefoot at the time. San twirled around, showing off her outfit, hoping to hear the boy's opinion about the ensemble that she wore.

She stopped, as she looked at them, almost a mixture of mad and embarrassment, as she mumbled, "Alright, so how is this one?" she then decided to explain her reasons on it, "I know it's not exactly appropriate or 'in' as you guys would put it. But I wanted something that would feel comfortable. Probably even something I could fight in."

Luckily, the first response she got was Kari giving her a thumbs up, "Oh yeah, that look works for you. A tomboy you act, so a tomboy you dress as."

Anju shrugged, "Whatever you feel right in."

She then turned towards Alex's way, and hoped that he liked it. However, he only nodded as he said, "You look wonderful, San."

San smirked at that as she replied, "Thanks, I…" but she stopped, as she nearly collapsed from a stomach pain, "Ugh! It hurts!"

Immediately out of worry, Alex ran up to her, holding her up by her shoulders, asking in concern, "San! You okay?"

He helped her up for a moment to stand straight, and placed his forehead to hers. San seemingly forgot the pain she experienced at the moment, and blushed from the close physical action that her human friend was doing. No matter what he seemed to do, even if he was somewhat half dimwitted enough to not know it, whenever he was close to her, he always had the means to make her turn red with either embarrassment or pleasure. This enough seemed to ease San's pain and make her feel better again, as she smiled warmly at the feel of his skin to hers.

"Well, you don't have a fever," Alex deduced as he pulled back, and looked to San, who shook off her blush, "Has there been anything else that's a bit out of the ordinary for you today?"

She wasn't sure on how to tell him; hesitation and silent worry was written all over her face. And the worst part about all of it, was that San was having a hunch that he was starting to find out. She scratched the back of her head, unsure of how to answer that, "Well, I…" but stopped as her stomach growled pretty loud, which made her eyes go wide in surprise, as she looked to her stomach and blushed, turning her gaze to Alex as she confessed, "… I guess hunger could be a bit out of the ordinary." she sheepishly smirked, "Could we get something to eat?"

Alex just smirked as he looked to his sister and cousin, "McD's?"

The two girls looked to each other, and nodded, "McD's!" But Kari winked at San, "But first: a much needed haircut."

"McD's," San asked herself with a tilt of her head, but then paled as she sweat dropped, "Haircut?"

* * *

**Later On**

**Still in the Mall**

**Food Court**

The four had finally gotten done with their latest errand and were now just sitting in the food court. They had ordered a four bag meal from the McD's place, which San had learned was called McDonalds. And right now the two girls were currently powering down their meal, while the young man was suck drinking his soda. However, his attention wasn't on food at the moment, but on the current occupant that was angrily picking at her meal. San was seeming a bit on edge at the moment, considering the girls had talked her into getting a haircut. Little did the Wolf Princess even know about that was that it was what it was talked by a hair cut. In which, humans were given the task of cutting her hair.

In fact, that was what Alex was spending most of his direct time looking at. San's hair seemed to have been cleaned with shampoo, much to the Princess's former pleasured delight, until they had trimmed her hair. It was still at shoulder length, but more to her neck than touching her shoulders now. Most of her hair was brushed to the left, with a single strand dangling in front of her nose, with both sides of her head's hair sticking out in sharp points. In truth, she didn't seem to enjoy the new style, not one bit.

So to figure out if she was mad about it, much to his stupidity, Alex bluntly asked, "San… I guess you don't like the haircut much."

She shot him a look, and pulled at the hair on both sides, "I never asked for this, Alex! But your sister talked me into it. The clothes were fine, but this! This is like cutting a wolf's tail clean off his/her butt!"

"Probably," Alex shrugged, "But at least either hairstyle, you look great. That and I bet you feel refreshed afterwards."

San grumbled as she sat back in her chair, pouting, "Maybe. But… it's causing some pretty unwanted attention."

That got Alex's attention as he looked interested, asking, "Unwanted attention? From whom?"

San's face expressed deep annoyance as she just nodded to her side, indicating for him to look. He did and if he wanted to die by San's hands, he'd laugh out loud at the scene before him.

The young man didn't know what she was talking about, until he took a gander as to where the Wolf Princess was pointing with her head motions. Apparently all the boys in the food court area, save for Alex, seemed to drop into trances as they were gazing, staring, or stalking at her once she was spotted. Apparently, she had become the center of the teenage boys' attention, much to the dismay and annoyance of some of the other teenage girls around the area, some of which were their girlfriends.

"That hair…"

"Those eyes…."

"Those tattoos…"

"That body…."

"No way she's an ordinary high school girl. She's obviously a supermodel," one of the boys drooled. "She's just too…"

"BEAUTIFUL!" the collected boys roared.

The only one who wasn't was Alex and he was chuckling weakly. Apparently in this time, since no one knew who San really was, she might as well start going to be more popular than he thought. As he saw some of the boys walk over, possibly came closer, Alex decided to be a friend.

"Hey, San," he smiled. "After lunch, you wanna go and check out the park later on? It'd be a somewhat well-earned treat for you, since you've been a good sport about hanging around us humans."

"Huh? The Park?"

"Yeah, it's like a little spot of nature in cities," Alex told her, "Remember when I told you about my time? About New York City's Central Park; it's sorta like that here too."

"Really?" San blinked as her sour face turned to honest surprise. Leaping forward, the young man found himself grabbed in a hug by the wolf girl. "Thanks, Alex," she warningly said with a grin.

Kari blushed at that as she grinned at the affection showed to her brother, while Anju just casually ate. He couldn't help but grin at this either. He liked how San greeted her friends now, instead of trying to kill him or threaten him. Although she sometimes did that, he just had to like this sign of affection better. Plus it was kind of funny to see how the other boys were reacting.

"Hey! Who is that guy?"

"How does a gaijin like him rate a hug?"

"I heard Americans were forward, but to hug a girl in the middle of a public place?"

In some honesty for Alex, he thought this was a great way to start this year in Tokyo, Japan. Gaining his first real friend who was a girl, a wild tomboy from the past so to speak. However that moment was over with, as San finally took notice of the boys' gazes, and finally lost it.

"WHAT'S EVERYBODY LOOKING AT?" San shouted, shooting up from her chair, roaring out to everyone, "GET OUT OF HERE! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!"

Once her outburst was shouted out, those who were approaching her fled in fright. Everyone else just backed away, looking pretty freaked out as San huffed from such a yell out. Alex just sighed, as he groaned, 'She really needs to work on that temper of hers.'

* * *

**Tokyo District Park**

"This is taking too long," San grumbled walking alongside the others.

"I can't blame you on that," Alex groaned as he held his left side, rubbing it for some odd reason, "A whole lot happened just on the way over here."

So far they had left the mall and made their way towards the park Alex promised. But it wasn't that much of an easy trek, considering they had to go through such obstacles. The crowds on the sidewalks weren't so easy to get through. The monorail trains took forever to cris-cross from point to point, just to get to one location by taking several. And to top it all off, every boy kept gawking at the Wolf Princess; there was even one incident that San felt someone squeeze her butt. That of course earned her to deck the louse, who looked to be a yakuza punk, and have all his teeth fall out. Unfortunately, his buddy had a tazer in which Alex took the blow, and spent an hour spasming on the floor afterwards. Thus so far, it had not been an easy trek to the park.

San noticed her outlander friend groan and nearly swagger for a moment, and grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. Concerned as she was, she asked, "You gonna be okay?"

Alex just grimaced for a second as he sighed, "Aside from the sore spot where I got zapped, I'll live."

San non-callously looked to her left, with her hands behind her back, away from the others as she sheepishly admitted, "I have to admit, I never expected such a puny weapon to take down its opponent in such a mighty blow."

"Well, that's a tazer for you," he groaned as they turned the corner, and smirked, "Well… we're here."

"Here? Where's…" But San stopped, as her face went wide with surprise, as she nearly gasped.

When they had turned the corner from the wall, they had walked into an opened sidewalk clearing. From there, they had reached the park to which Alex had promised. And there, they, or rather San found herself, at a complete loss for words. The place that San had led him to back then, back from where they rested from the Ape incident, was in fact the very park they had taken a moment of peace before Gonza and his men showed up. It looked the same as they day before it was destroyed; it was still a beautiful lake that lay surrounded by towering boulders and cliffs on one side and dense forests of trees on the other. Moss-covered, rock formations jutted from the water's surface like sentinel statues while roaring waterfalls created clouds of misty white as they cascaded down the deep crevices that scarred the cliff's surface. Truly, this place looked like heaven on earth. But only with a slight difference; there were toiled earth paths, a few water bottle machines and fountains, and a restroom. But it still remained the same as it was Heaven on Earth.

Kari and Anju walked off, possibly to go on the nature trail on it, leaving the two teens behind. San looked to Alex, hoping for an answer to all this. Noticing it, he smirked as he explained, "Apparently after a few hundred years, this land was restored. A few stories said that a couple of strangers fixed the whole place up, and was made as a sort of national treasure centuries on, considering some legends about it being protected by some unknown guardian beast. That's why the place doesn't look so trashed up."

The wolf girl just smiled brightly at the whole area, "It's still so beautiful. Even after my time…"

Alex cleared his throat up as he shrugged, "Well, I guess as long as I'm holding on to Somiesa's bead, the future's changed a bit. Once he comes back, things might change even further."

San just smiled as she looked at the scene in front of them both, whispering, "Hopefully things won't change too much."

The two had walked over to the edge of the lake as the young outlander boy relaxed on his back, looking up at the clear skies above him. The young wolf girl took a seat next to her human companion, and like before, she slipped off her sandals, dipping her feet into the water, allowing the cool liquid to soothe her skin. But before she could relax, she felt a pair of eyes looking from behind her, and turned to see Alex smile at he.

She curiously watched him, asking, "What is it?"

"Oh nothing," he answered, "I told you I owed you big time back then. Remember?"

San jumped back in surprise, knowing full well what he was talkinga bout, "I told you last time," she shot back, seemingly annoyed, as she huffed, looking the other way, "The last thing I wanted was another favor from you. Got it?"

"I never made a promise that I wouldn't," Alex teased.

"Well don't," she insisted, this time her voice was filled with annoyance.

"Nope, I'm gonna continue to owe you favors."

"And I say don't!"

"I will."

"No you wont!"

"Yes, I will."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"NO!" Alex shouted.

"YES!" San finished, "And don't you dare say no again! You hear me!" But immediately, San stopped herself as she realized she had just been tricked, and then growled at Alex, whom was stifling his chuckles. She balled up her fists and crashed down at him, pounding at his chest, "You stupid human! You tricked me! Take it back! Take back that promise that you owe me!"

"Nope, not takin' it back," he laughed out loud, instead of yelling Uncle.

The two had finally calmed down, as the little fight had stopped between the two. Alex breathed in and out heavily due to all the laughter he had done, as well as from all the pounding he took in the chest. Even San took a breather, as she leaned onto the young man's chest on her arms, with her head hanging down. She too huffed out breath, while doing her best to stifle her own laughter. For a while now, the two remained silent, lying on the grass together, as San rested her head on Alex's chest with her hands as pillows. For the two, it was like that same time back then, only now they were on much better terms, and San better understood her feelings for him now. But the Wolf Princess seemed uncertain now, as she opened her eyes in worry.

"Alex?" she whispered, getting a questioned 'Hmm' out of him. "Do you think… I'm ugly?"

That question caused him to nearly bolt up, but gave him much shock as he looked to San as he asked, "What? Why would you ask me that?"

She looked him straight in the eye, but had a credulous look on her face as she frowned, "Well, why were you appalled when you saw me half-naked?"

"Oh, that," he groaned, not sure of that was a good thing to remember, "Well… I guess it's cause that was actually the first time I ever saw a girl close to my age naked. And I wasn't appalled," he shrugged, not sure of how to say it properly, "I was just… you know, taken by surprise, is all."

"So you don't think I'm hideous," she asked as she sat up on her knees.

"No, San, I don't think you're hideous. Quite the opposite really," Alex replied as he sat up, meeting San's gaze as he asked out of concern, "Why are you asking all that?"

"Alex," she asked once again, looking at him rather worried, "What do you think of me?"

He raised an eyebrow as he asked, "What does this have to do with anything right now?" not getting an answer from her, he sighed in defeat as he replied, "I think you're pretty courageous, stubborn, short-tempered, a bit abrasive, you impulsive…"

San balled up her fists in the grass as she lowered her gaze to hide her exposed snarling teeth, 'Is he just going to keep mouthing off my faults? That stupid, stupid, idiotic hu…'

"… kind-hearted, loyal to no ends, lonely at times, and beautiful as the legends stated she'd be," Alex finally finished, giving San a moment to look at him in surprised, as he smirked, "Did I leave anything out, your highness?" he saw her cheeks redden from his final thoughts about her, as well as a small smile, but asked, "Why'd you want to know? You still having trouble adjusting as a human?"

"No, not anymore. I've accepted that I can be both a member of my mother's clan, but at the same time, I can accept the human part of me." San's smile disappeared as she looked at him, dejected and depressed about something as she stated, "It's just that… when the day comes that I will have to find my Alpha…" and looked to him, almost pleading for him secretly, "… will he accept me for who and what I am?"

Sensing the uneasiness in her voice, Alex knew that there was some sort of hidden meaning behind that question. When San looked away with her eyes closed all depressed, he cupped her cheek to turn to his way, as he smiled to her, "I think any Alpha would be blind or stupid to not know how lucky they'd be to be with you."

If San wanted to, she could have cried at that moment, but she didn't, as she just smiled and blushed at him. The young teenagers stared deeply into each other's eyes, and the rest of the city blurred away into a featureless fog. The noise of the traffic, the chatter of pedestrians; all of it ceased to exist. For a perfect instant in time, each of them was all that existed in the other's universe. Alex reached out and squeezed her smooth, small hand, and felt a somewhat electric tingle whenever he touched her hand. And to his amazement, San reacted at the same time – as if she felt the same thing.

She reached for his shoulder, and closed her eyes, tilting her face to his, receptively. Alex leaned forwards as well, both of them about to repeat an incident back at the Pool of Shisha Gami that day. But for San… this became a nightmare, as she felt her right hand start to change as it did this morning. And much to her horror… it did on his shoulder.

She paled as she pulled back from him, getting on her feet, "I'm sorry, Alex. I… I can't stay here." she tried to run away, but Alex grabbed her wrist, ignoring or not noticing the changes to her hand. She snarled at him as she kept her gaze away from him, "Alex. Let me go."

"No, I won't," he calmly stated, looking rather serious and worried about her behavior now, "San, ever since this morning you've been acting strangely. You're in constant pain, Kari said you were clutching your hand, and you sound worried right now. San, what's going on?"

"Let go of me!" San shouted, but he didn't let go.

"I told you I won't," he resisted.

At this time, her anger was getting the best of her, until she finally shouted, "I SAID LET GO!" and swiped at him with her transformed right hand. A loud cry of agony came from Alex's mouth, as he staggered black clutching his right shoulder. San finally calmed down, but paled as she saw her right hand, coated with blood on the fingers. She paled and stuttered in her breath as she looked to where the blood came from. There, clutching his shoulder, was Alex, as he had a nastly four clawed gash from his shoulder to his left peck. San looked saddened, knowing it was she who made that gash in his chest.

Alex saw her right hand transforming, as he looked at her in fear for her, "San, what…?"

"I'm sorry, Alex," She apologized as she clutched her hand to her chest, her eyes drippign with tears. She then angrily looked to him, hurt emotionally, as her irises turned ruby red, as she shouted, "BUT I'M JUST A MONSTER WHO CAN NEVER BE WITH YOU!" and took off, with Alex reaching out to try and stop her.

But she was gone, running out of the park, even with Kari and Anju running to the wounded boy, as he could only look at the wolf girl disappear from his sights.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Exploring the New World; First Days, Impressions, and a Secret Found pt.2**

* * *

**For those of you wondering, San's new hairstyle was copied after Disney's Rapunzel when her hair was cut and it turns brown. I don't know, I guess it just really looks good on her.**

**Also, I thought about it, ever since I saw Not Another Teen Movie, Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the Captain America trailers, and if there was ever a voice cast for this story, I found the perfect voice for Alex.**

**Alex Killian: Chris Evans.**


	33. A Dark Secret Discovered pt2

**Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 31: A New Demon Arises; A Bond Forms Stronger pt.2**

* * *

**Back in the Past**

Near the Tree that allowed Alex to slip from past to future and back and forth again, San dug her way out of the hole from at the base of the tree. Frantically, after wounding Alex unintentionally, she had to get away from him, and anyone else for that matter, less she hurt anyone… or worse. She had ran back to the Killian home and straight to the Sacred Tree. And here she was now, taking deep breaths and leaning against the tree. Unfortunately, time for rest had come and past, as she strained to stay on her feet, and fell to her knees.

She hunched over in pain, clutching at her stomach as her arms were wrapped around her. San's face was scrunched in agony, as if she was having the worst case of indigestion ever, or her first time suffering from a severe case of PMS. San nearly fell over to the ground, until she caught herself by leaning forward with her hands in front. She panted heavily, nearly gasping for air, as she pulled at her collar, ripping it open from neck to belly button. Once she did this, it was evident her body was burning up from the inside, as sweat was dripping and cascading all over her skin.

She fell back down, her eyes nearly bulging out from the heat, as she continued to gasp for air. "I… I can… barely breathe. And… it's hot… out here…"

San's body was nearly on the verge of bursting out of her clothing, with how much she was flexing and pulling at her shirt. Unknown to her, her shadow began to stretch out on the ground, taking the shape of wriggling worms. The same kind of worms that swarmed Nago and Okoto when they had transformed into demons. Suddenly, she shot up on her knees, as she saw what form her shadow had taken, as the shadow snake worms began to snake all over the ground, bringing nothing but death around her. She stood up, attempting to run away on her bare feet now, but to no avail; the worms in her shadows had a solid hold of her, as pain once again washed over her flesh.

"Argh! Ugh!" San struggled, feeling an intense pain from her skin… as suddenly, red worms began to form from out of her skin. The wolf girl gasped as she felt the air being taken out of her lungs; panic sweeping across her as she could barely breathe. The red worms began to wrap themselves around her body, nearly going through her clothing in order to force their way into and out of her skin. San tried to scream, but the pain the worms caused as they seeped into her flesh was too much.

_'_Oh Gods…' the wolf girl thought as tears of pain swelled into her eyes, arching her back up as she desperately looked at the sky "I… it feels like my whole body's on fire!" Never before did she expect to experience such pain ever again, 'This… this is much worse than before Okoto!'

She grabbed on to one of the tree trunks, desperately to gain some balance on her feet. And suddenly, out of her hand, another bunch of worms wriggled out. She cried out in pain, "AAGUH! Please… stop!" but it was no avail.

The worms swarmed her as they wrapped around her, attempting to encompass her as she was nearly disappeared in a huge glob of them, nearly gaining ten feet in height and mass.

Inside the slime worm blob, San was being encompassed by the worms. They flattened and stretched out, forming a skintight body suit that fit her beautiful frame, but branched off vein like structures off her body, connecting her to the blob's inside.

Feeling the worms merging with her, she cried out, frightened and with tears streaming down her face. "NO!" San shouted, trying to free herself, "I don't want to become a demon!"

She desperately tried to pull herself free as the rest of the black ooze film started to stretch over her neck and slowly encompassing her face, with black veins stretching under her eyes, as her eyes went back and her irises went electric pink.

The worms and slime were trying to constrict her, keeping her from resisting, as she shouted, "Please, stop!" the ooze film was finally encompassing around her face, until she would become completely engulfed. As she nearly disappeared, having a full skintight black ooze film body suit form around her, she shouted, "ALEEEEEX!" and as the worms finally cloaked her, she disappeared completely and was silenced.

Outside the ball of black ooze worms, it started to take shape, as its shadow stretched upward, making the figure of what appeared to be a female werewolf.

* * *

**Back in the Future**

Alex had finished treating the wound on his chest; the one that San had unintentionally inflicted on him. It was wrapped in bandages horizontally across his chest and right shoulder, as he slipped on a new shirt. After San had bolted away from the park, he had gone after her. But due to the fact that Karin and Anju were still normal people, he had to slow down to allow them to keep up with him. This unfortunately caused him to slow down, and that in turn had made him lose the trail on her. Luckily, he knew where she would go, and it was right back to the Sacred Tree and back to her forest. But she had failed to grab her clothing, moccasins, and her daggers, which was slightly out of the ordinary for her to do.

Something was wrong with the Princess, and he knew far better to leave her alone the way she was now.

He slipped on his shirt, as he grabbed his leather satchel, slinging it over his shoulder. He then strapped the machete blade behind his pants, as he opened the door. Only to have him be greeted by Karin, who looked worried as ever, "Brother, are you sure you're okay?"

Alex nodded, "The wound still stings a bit, but I can't let that stop me from going after San."

"What's wrong with her?" she asked, both worried for her brother and San.

Alex looked to the right for a moment, at his shoulder in deep thought. He placed his left hand on it, hoping to at least stop the throbbing and sighed, "I don't know. But…"

"Alex!" a familiar voice shouted from down the stairs.

The two siblings bolted to the stairway, racing to the railway, as they both looked down to see who it was that greeted them both. Down on the first floor, Anju stood by the open glass slide backdoor, and scurrying inside was none other than the familiar little fox-squirrel Guardian spirit, Isaac, or Isaaku to everyone else.

Immediately, Alex hopped down from the stairwell and landed in a crouched position, easily startling both girls. Due to his half-demon powers, he could easily do such things without even hurting himself. But that was little concern for the boy, as he looked to his companion, and asked seriously, "Isaac. Did you see San back there in the forest? There's something…"

"I know," Isaac replied as he ran over to him and scurried himself up on the boy's left shoulder. The little fox-squirrel looked at the boy's right shoulder, taking note of a small blood stain slowly forming there, and looked to the boy in concern, "Though it seems that you've already found out."

"It was weird, Isaac," the young future boy explained as he stood up, and Karin raced down to meet everyone, "Yesterday, San was fine… aside from her usual mood swings. But this morning, she was cradling her hand, she had stomach pains, and then her right hand suddenly was turning ooze black with sharp clawed fingernails, and her eyes were going reddish pink, just like…"

"Like Moro's eyes?" Isaac finished, causing the young outlander to look at the fox-squirrel confused, as he answered, "That's because Moro's essence inside San, has started to unbalance in her."

* * *

**Back in the Past**

**Now**

After they had returned to the past, Isaac had transformed into his Uber form and was now racing at high speed. On top of him, Alex clung on to his neck fur like reins as they made speed in time to find San and help her before it was too late. Along the way, one thing had to be answered, and Alex knew now who to ask.

"Isaac," the young American time traveler spoke out as they rode through the forest, "You know what's going on with San, right? What did you mean by Moro's essence was starting to unbalance San? Are you saying Moro cursed her?"

"No," Isaac answered while not turning his gaze away from his view, "Nothing like that. What happened with you, Takemaru, and Yashahime were all done with the beasts that infected you were all under the control of their rage and hate poisoning them. For San… Moro infected her with her love and power." Sensing the cluelessness from his human companion, he explained further, "Basically, it meant that she gave San a portion of her essence with only the wish that her daughter to be protected and to live, while you and the other two examples were made to suffer and feel hopelessness."

"Okay, I seem to get the gist of it," Alex shrugged, not sure if he got the whole thing, but continued to ask, "But what's going on now? Why is she transforming if it's not a curse?"

Isaac sighed, knowing full well that this story would come to light, and probably change the viewpoint of the boy with him. But nonetheless, the boy had the right to know about the girl that would one day be his Other, "Okay. You heard about how San's parents left her for dead at Moro's feet?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think an ordinary human child could have survived all on their own? Even with the help of Wolves?" Isaac inquired, waiting for the silent boy to answer him. Hearing only silence, Isaac nodded, "They can't. At least not in this forest, not without a little help. San, at a young age, was ill at the time; deathly ill, considering that when she was given to Moro, she didn't make a sound. So she went to Shisha Gami, and sacrificed half of her life… to be transferred into San. He agreed to do so, and in such saved San's life. She grew up, growing stronger, faster, and more durable than any human or wolf… but… we found out later that there would come a price."

"Such as?" Alex asked, sounding pretty worried.

"That overtime, as San's rage and hatred for humans, her own kind, was growing as she grew older during the war between the beasts of the forest and the humans defiling it…" Isaac answered. "The essence that Moro injected into her, was becoming stained and darkened. Moro knew this would happen, but didn't know what to do, but lately it did nothing to transform her. It would turn her into a demon, just as your curse had nearly done to you."

Alex thought about that as well; it didn't seem feasible for something like what Moro did to curse San. Until, it hit him, as he paled and whispered aloud, "Unless coming into contact with Okoto's curse caused it. Shisha Gami only regressed it back, and all of a sudden, it's back at full force isn't it?" But then Alex looked to Isaac and asked, "Did San know about this?"

"It's unclear on how or what she knew," Isaac replied, "All we should do now is focus on how to restore her back to the way that she was."

Alex was silent on that, thinking of a way to get San back to normal, if she really was turning into a demon. Suddenly, the two took notice of a flying fire ball, as it flew in next to them. It was then that it cleared up, showing it to be Rukia in her Spirit Form, as she soared next to them, in a panic, "Isaaku! Alex! It's the princess! She's…!"

"Yeah, we know what's going on, Rukia," Alex replied, not taking his eyes away from the front. But then, suddenly, an idea struck him as he looked to Isaac and asked, "Isaaku… I mean, Isaac! Is Tsume still at the Amishi village recovering?"

"Of course he is," the fox-squirrel replied, but then shouted comically, "AND STOP CALLING ME ISAAKU!"

Ignoring the outburst, Alex turned towards Rukia and explained, "Rukia! Go to the Amishi Village; tell them what's going on, tell Tsume too, and get help from the Wise Woman there! She'll know what to do from then on!"

"Uh, okay," she replied, and took off.

"You have an idea, Alex?" Isaac asked the boy.

Alex nodded, "Pretty much, but it's more like an only solution for her situation." He then took a huge sigh as Rukia took off in the air, and the two continued making their way eastward, "I just really, really, really hope San hasn't done anything that she'll regret later on."

* * *

**Amishi Watch Tower**

After two long hours of riding as fast as they could, Alex and Isaac had finally came into a clearing as the forest opened up. After they passed the thick row of trees, Alex spotted a familiar sight that nearly took back memories of when he had first arrived there. Right in front of them and onward, was a dirt path running along side a stone wall that had been built into the side of a steep hill.

"The Amishi Watch Tower," Alex cried out, as he hopped off Isaac, and both were running side by side as the pace had slowed down a bit. "We're nearing the village! We'll meet up with Rukia once we find the Wise Woman!"

As they ran forward, the path soon curved inward, cutting into the hill itself. The stone walls on either side of the path were too high for Alex to see over the top, but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was finding San and helping her before it was too late. But as they continued to run through it, the boy looked up and saw the watch tower.

As they got closer, Alex looked up and saw the old man, Gisan, sitting silently inside the tower as the tower's look out. Alex stopped at the front, as Isaac changed back and hopped onto the boy's shoulder. Once they stopped, they thought that Gisan would shout out to them a hello or a smile. But the old man's gaze was as focused and unwavering, just as it was back in the day when Nago attacked the village.

Alex raised an eyebrow, but knew the old man saw something out there. He hopped onto the first railing as he started to climb up, but as he did, he asked, "Gisan!" the old man, turned, and was a bit surprised to see the lad back in plain sight, aside from last night. "What's going on?"

"There's something in the forest, young lad," the old man replied, "Kaya and a few others were out picking food, until they heard an ungodly howl from afar."

"A howl?" Isaac asked, "How far was it?"

"Not sure, but it didn't sound too far out," Gisan replied. "But I can tell you this much: its howl was filled with anger."

As soon as Alex got up on the look out deck, he nervously smiled at the man, and turned away dread in thought, 'San… she must be close by.'

But all three were turned to the forest, as they heard something.

At that very moment, a strange crashing sound echoed from within the darkened forest trees. Alex, Isaac, and the old man looked to see what was happening. Beyond another stone wall that separated them from the forest, lay a vast grove of trees. Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked deeper through the gaps between the trees.

And that's when they all saw it.

Though it wasn't a clear image, the young teen boy was able to make a dark shape moving within the forest. It's shape was completely indefinable; almost as if it's form was more malleable than a solid form. Then came another sound; a faint screech that sent a chill racing down and up his spine.

"Did you see it?" the old man asked.

"Last time I did this, I didn't have a clue as to what I saw," Alex replied. "But this time… it's much different." But then, he suddenly smelled something in the air. It was the same rancid odor that had saturated around the trench he had come across earlier. He immediately covered his nose as he winced, "Oh man, it's that same smell again."

"Yes, I smell it as well," Gisan replied.

"Yeah, it's the same smell that first day when I got here," but then he coughed as he tried to get the smell out of his lungs, "Only this time, it's probably a whole lot more stronger than last time."

"Speak for yourselves," Isaac nearly coughed up, getting woozy at the moments notice, "You don't have a nose like mine; it can pick up smells much farther than any of you, and it smells even stronger with a nasal cavity as developed as mine."

"Look! Over there," the old man shouted, pointing to a spot behind the wall.

When Alex and Isaac looked to where the old Amishi man had pointed, he found himself short of breath or words. A patch of trees were starting to change from a healthy green to a sickly dying brown, rotting away into shriveled skeletons. As they looked closer, the boy saw a black ooze bubbling through the crack in the wall.

With a crash of unearthly strength, a huge portion of the wall exploded outward. After the dust settled, the explosion revealed what Alex could only describe as the most bizarre yet loathsome creature he or anyone he knew could have ever seen in their lifetime. The creature had to be around maybe ten to thirteen feet in height; probably around the size of an RV. The creature's body was powerful and slender, but more perhaps as it was in the shape of a two-tailed female werewolf, with two glowing red eyes over its muzzle mouth and beneath the sharpened ears; the eyes could pierce the soul of any brave man. Its fur and flesh were both composed of what looked to be millions upon millions of slimy black and red worms. The creature lumbered away from the wall on all fours at first, and then on its two hind legs, as its arms wavered in the air and at its sides, as it began to make its way into the middle of the clearing, leaving behind a trail of rotting death and with each step it took as well.

Alex could only gawk at this gigantic monster, "Oh, my God."

"It's a Demon God!" the old man said in utter terror.

Alex gulped and paled at that as he turned to the old man, and then back at the creature, "No, it isn't… it's San." He looked to Isaac, "Isaac, are we too late?"

As soon as the so-called Demon God that was once San reached the center of the clearing, it let loose an ear-piercing roaring howl. As it did, the worms of its chest suddenly began to ripple violently and peel away, like a venus flytrap opening up. As it did this, the wormy flesh revealed San's black film covered upper torso concealed within the rotting flesh. She was unconscious as her arms were pinned to both sides, and her head tilting to the side, like she had been crucified to the beast's ribcage. Her eyes were shut, as she was unable to see the tower… or those that were in it.

Seeing her like that, Alex's face was twisted in fear for her, as he shouted out to her, "SAN! WAKE UP! IT'S ME, ALEX! SAAAAAN!"

His cries were of no avail, as she couldn't hear him, just as the worms covered her form once again. When the beast's breastplate swallowed the girl whole again, it launched itself towards the watchtower.

As it charged towards them, the beast had left a shallow trench of black and red it left in its path.

In a blindingly fast movement, the Demon Wolf God engulfed the bottom of the watch tower, eating away at the supports. When it could no longer support its own weight, the tower tipped and toppled over the edge of the cliff. But before it was too late, Alex, Isaac and the old man jumped off in the nick of time, as Isaac transformed, scooping up the two on his back, and landed in one of the trees near them. Not wanting to stick around and admire the destruction it had caused, or find the two humans and beast that got away, the Demon God shuffled/skittered over the cliff and began to quickly make its way down the hill.

It had sensed something close by… something that needed to be destroyed. All in the name of vengeance for the forest.

On the tree, the trio were scattered in the tree, almost in a mess of things tangled in the tree branches. Alex groaned a bit, feeling sore from doing something that crazy yet again. But then he remembered about Gisan, and looked around to find him. "Gisan! GISAN!" he shouted as he started to climb down the tree, not even stopping to think about what he was doing.

Isaac huffed as he shook himself loose in the trees, mumbling, "Sheesh. He's worried about the Amishi, but he doenst worry about me. Some friend."

It was when they both reached the bottom, none of them saw the old man, as they both looked around. "Up here!" Gisan called to them both, as they looked up. There, they saw the old man, hanging up by one of the tree branches.

"You okay, Gramps?" Alex asked as they both looked up.

"Don't worry about me, Lads!" the old man said as he looked forward, "But that Demon God! It's headed for the Village!"

"Just like back then," Alex said to himself, feeling nostalgia striking him yet again. "Just hold on," Alex said as he looked upward, "We'll get you down!"

"No! There's no time," the old man stated as he looked to Alex and Isaac with determined eyes, "It's heading for the village. You must warn them before that Demon reaches the village."

Alex looked hardened on doing this, not even flinching, as he nodded, "You don't have to worry, Gisan! We'll stop her before she gets there!" Alex took hold of the Uber Fox-Squirrel's large shoulder fur, and swung himself on to his large friend's back. He then grabbed the fur and turned the Fox-Squirrel down hill, "Alright, here we go!" And with that, Isaac lurched backward and in a flash, took off.

"Alex, be careful," the old man shouted before the two disappeared from sight, "That thing is cursed! Don't let it touch you!" and he stood there, watching both the elk and the strangely dressed young man disappear into the trees, he could hear the sounds of Alex shouting back.

"I'm already cursed!" Alex replied back before the two disappeared, "What else could happen?"

* * *

**In the Forest**

Alex held on tightly to Isaac, as the Uber Fox-squirrel did his best to outrun the demonic Wolf Beast. The young outlander pressed his body flat against the furry creature's body and held on to the fur on his neck like reins tightly.

The boy's eyes scanned the rapidly moving forest, searching for the Demon Wolf that was once San, or whatever the hell it was. It was nowhere to be found, but that could have been because he was moving too fast to really look carefully. It didn't matter to the boy, as he scanned all over, trying to find the girl in order to help her. But how to help her, was gonna be pretty hard for him to figure out now.

Then suddenly, from out of nowhere, the rippling mass of the Demon God burst out from behind a thick clump of bushes, turning them to smoldering weeds as 'It' touched them. Isaac, with only a fraction of a second to make its next maneuver, dodged the larger creature with Alex clinging tightly to his neck.

"San!" he cried out to her, looking back at the Demon God which was now just a meter or so behind them, "Please, you've got to stop! Snap out of it!"

"It's no use, Alex. She's far too out of it to even talk reason to her," Isaac replied.

"Like before she transformed, I couldn't reason with her back then," he mumbled. He returned his attention forward and saw that they were now coming into another clearing. "We've gotta stop her before she reaches the village!"

* * *

**In the Clearing**

**Amishi Village**

Near the small village down the hill, three girls were making their way to it. Kaya and her friends were making their way back to the village, to warn them of the oncoming danger. They had just got back from the watch tower, and had been told by the old man, Gisan, to warn the village. They had found that the birds had all gone and the animals as well, considering the forests were so silent. Well, they were, save for the giant howling from deep within the forests. They knew only for sure something terrible was coming.

But they suddenly stopped as they saw movement from the forest. Then they saw a giant horse-sized fox-squirrel ride in, with a familiar face riding atop of him.

Kaya smiled as she saw a dear friend of hers, as she called out to him, "Alex!"

"Kaya, run!" he shouted to the girls.

Following them, the Demon Wolf God charged right at them, but halted. It lurched on all fours, staring at both Isaac and Alex with murderous intent. However, it sniffed the air, as it looked around for a moment, swiftly turning its head left to right to get a fix on it. Then suddenly, slowly turning towards the right of it, It turned as it saw the girls, and the village…

Alex saw this, as he paled in fear, not at the village or the girls just, but also back to San. He couldn't let her do something like that, no matter what was happening. "San, please," he pleaded out to her hopelessly, "Don't do it; they've done nothing wrong!"

But his pleas couldn't reach her as the Demon Wolf God's gnaw opened up, letting out a small growl… and immediately, charged right towards the girls and the village.

"SAN, NO!"

One of the girls screamed, "It's a demon!"

Kaya took charge as she ordered, "C'mon!" and the trio of girls ran towards the village as fast as they could.

Then, as if Alex's pleas to her went unanswered, he saw the Demon Wolf God go after the three girls. When he saw this, he grumbled, "Great. Even as a Demon God, she's stubborn." He then gave Isaac a kick, "C'mon, boy!" and like a bolt of lightning, they both darted down the hill in pursuit of the Demon God.

But Isaac growled, "Do me a favor, and don't kick me! Jeez, I'm not a horse."

The three girls ran as fast as their feet would carry them. But even with all their efforts, they were still unable to keep a good distance between themselves and the horrible monster advancing on them.

The one at the rear suddenly caught her foot on a rock protruding from the ground and fell flat on her chest. As she looked up she saw that the two other girls had noticed her fall.

"Get up!" Kaya cried out to her companion while getting in front.

One of the girls got to her to help her up. Kaya drew out her machete blade, as she was preparing for the worst. They all looked in front, and saw that the monster was only several yards away and the distance was quickly lessening.

Just as the Demon God was about to pounce, a massive wall of flames formed in between the girls and the Demon God. The Beast halted in her tracks but was so caught off guard, that it nearly fell over to its side, and that it failed to notice the Uber Fox-Squirrel running past her, and jumping over the flames. Rukia flew around the beast, as she had arrived, and began to shoot flames out to entrap the beast. The flames grew around the Beast, as it saw that it was being surrounded by the flames. And stopped as it noticed a silhouette in the center along with it.

… it was Alex, in his Half-Demon armor, minus the faceplate helmet.

The Demon Beast looked at the boy, snarling at him, flexing its claws out, and out of its back were growing tendrils, shaking like rattlesnake tails. Alex cracked his knuckles, with a frown on his face of pure concentration, as he said in a low menacing voice, "San… I'm gonna get you out of there."

His train of thought was suddenly cut off by a slimy tentacle that the Demon God had shot towards him. He dodged it and tumbled to the ground. As soon as he regained footing, he growled, "Same situation, but different outcome."

The tentacle shot at him again but he caught it… and with his demonic strength, pulled on it, until it ripped from its back. The Demon Wolf God roared out in pain, causing its chest to open… and the unconscious San shouted out in pain.

Alex stopped himself, as he realized he had hurt her. Stopping himself, he said to her, "I'm sorry. I…"

But the now conscious San snarled at him, forgetting who she was, or who he was, allowing her curse to affect her memories of who he was. Suddenly, a few other tentacles shot at him, but unlike before, this creature didn't count on this boy being able to dodge him so easily, much less block all its advances at him with a mere machete. As soon as he saw an opening, Alex jumped over one tentacle, and roll-dodge another, and that allowed him to get around the beast and started running. But this time, he tried something different as he hopped over the other tentacle. He grabbed it and hopped over the other one, and grabbed it too. There, he twisted them around, creating a sort of rope as he landed back on his feet, and gave a mighty tug over his shoulder. This caused the mighty demon wolf to fall flat face first into the ground.

Seeing the beast distracted, Alex shot out two of the Vine Whips from his back, straight on through the fire. He winched, feeling them get cooked like that, but ignored it as he tried to focus on the plan at hand. He looked above him, witnessing Rukia making ready to nosedive down on them. He hoped what would happen next would work… but only hoped.

"San! Are you there?" he called out to her, "Please, answer me!"

"**Filthy human**," he heard a growling and near-disembodied voice come from the slowly recovering beast. He looked and saw the now conscious, but still covered in black ooze film, form of San, as she opened her eyes, revealing them to be black and electric pink now. Until finally, she shouted, "**DIEEEEE!**"

Suddenly, as if she was shot out of a cannon, she was propelled out of the beast's chest, while the lower half of her body was still attached to the Demon Beast by a snake tail-like tendril that connected her to the chest still. She lunged right at him, and tackled him head on, in a crushing embrace, nearly knocking him off his feet.

But he still regained his footing, as he skidded, holding his stance strong and firm. Even as the possessed Wolf Princess had him in a powerful embrace, clawing into his back, pulling him close to her… as she was sinking her elongated fangs into the left side of his neck, growling as she tried to tear his head off. But as this happened, Alex didn't gag nor did he even try to resist, even as blood started to seep from his upper back and his neck. But instead, something happened, not even the possessed Wolf Girl could even not intend.

He slowly and gently brought his arms around her… and embraced her warmly. As the Wolf Girl's gnawing slowed down, the possessed San's eyes seemed to widen in deep surprise. Why would this enemy show compassion for her? She was trying to kill him, she didn't even care if this thing in front of her died. So why? Why?

Suddenly, flashes of memories flooded her mind, as she remembered…

* * *

_"Just hang on!" Alex shouted, gritting his teeth and wincing at the growing pain in his arms and shoulders, "I won't let you go! I swear!"_

_"These encounters of ours are really becoming irritating, human!" the young wolf-girl said from behind her mask as she dangled high above the ground like a piece of drying meat._

_"At this point in my life, the feeling's becoming mutual, Princess," Alex retorted curtly, "Just what are you trying to do, get yourself killed or something?"_

_"Your concern touches me, human. But unlike you, I'm not afraid to die!"_

_"How admirable," Alex grunted, "But it's not about fear, for me…"_

_He then noticed the Wolf Girl licking her arm in an attempt to clean it, "Hey, don't do that. It'll just make it worse for all you know," He moved closer to the girl and sat in front of her, "Here, let me see your arm," He reached out towards her left arm._

_When she saw the hand nearing her, San once again went to instinctive reflex and swatted it away. "Get away from me!" she shouted, her eyes burning with rage, "If you so much as touch me again, human, I swear that I'll… "_

_"That you'll rip the tubes from my throat," The human finished for her, "I know, I know. I've heard this threat already." _

_The young human nodded and began to wrap the strip of cloth around San's arm. For what almost seemed like an eternity, San watched him tend to her arm, not really carrying about anything else._

* * *

_San's eyes went wide with horror into what he was asking her. He was asking her to kill him to end his pain once and for all. "No," she pleaded, her voice quivering to such a thing as she shook her head and placed her hand over his mouth to quiet him. "You're not going to die, Alex. She tried to smile, but all came out was a sad smile, "I won't let you."_

_"Why's that?" was all Alex could say in response._

_"Because…" San started, but stopped for a moment before she said too much. San took a deep breath. "Because you didn't let me die. And because... because you told me that life is too precious to just throw away." She clutched his head and looked deep into his eyes, no longer caring about them being the eyes of a human. "Don't throw yours away, Alex! Not after all you've done to get this…" she stopped when she felt Alex's hand touch her cheek and caress it softly._

_Alex looked at the girl crouched over him and smiled. Not the same empty smile he had given her before, but a true smile, a smile that held heart and soul. "Isaac was right about you when he told me about you" he whispered slowly. "He said you were so frightening... and yet... so incredibly beautiful." He laughed quietly causing his whole body to shake, "It... it makes me wonder... if I had stayed in one place for long, and there had been someone like you back home... do you think I would've fallen in love with her too?"_

_San felt her cheeks redden, as Alex's words hammered through her head. 'Why?' she asked herself, watching the young outlander slowly start to drift out of conciseness. 'What have I done to deserve your love? How could you honestly love an ugly and vile creature like me?' It was then that she felt the first tear flow from her eye. The tiny drop of water rolled down her tattooed cheek and fell onto Alex's face, landing on his tear duct as it rolled down his cheek, acting as his tear. 'I don't deserve such things, I never have.'_

* * *

_San closed her eyes and thought for a moment; she knew full well that this was against her better judgment. But she knew that the boy had nowhere else to go. "You could… always stay here, if you wanted."_

_Alex shook his head. "This just seems so incredibly nuts," he retorted. "Why are you so gung-ho about sticking your neck out for me like this?_

_As san met his questioning gaze, her tattooed cheeks continued to redden. "Because, I... I enjoy your company." She tried to keep herself from blushing even further. "And you make me laugh."_

_San chuckled at that little joke he worked in, and asked once more, "So you'll stay then?"_

_Alex grinned boyishly, and looked San straight in the eye. "Yeah... I'll stay."_

* * *

_She stopped for moment, to collect herself, and calm her anger. "You still want to know why I asked you to stay, Alex?"_

_"That's what I'd like to know, ya know?"_

_The expression on the wolf girl's face suddenly softened and she looked away from Alex. "From the moment I first saw you... standing on the fallen tree, with that ugly wolf-skinned cloak resting on you, and that jacket tied around your waist…" she sighed, never feeling this nervous in her life. "You were so different from anything, or any human, I had ever seen before…" she placed her right hand on her chest, nearly clutching at her heart. "I felt... something that made my insides feel as though they were on fire. I didn't understand it at the time, " She couldn't help but smile faintly. "I was too consumed with my hatred for humans to understand what I was feeling." she then turned towards to face Alex once again, this time, with a small smile on her face as she looked at him. "I felt that same feeling again each time I encountered you... "_

_Alex suddenly felt as if his voice had been torn from his throat._

_"I felt it when you tried to save me from falling from the roof of the iron-works... when you tended to my injuries... and when I saw the wrist chain, and then… how you looked when the curse had been unleashed, in your transformed state, for the very first time..." Her tattooed cheeks began to redden. "But I felt it even more strongly… when you first kissed me."_

* * *

_Your brothers claim that you were very protective of him. _

_You could have left him do die. _

_Why did you spare that young human's life? _

_I'm beginning to wonder if your feelings towards the humans are as clear as they used to be._

* * *

_Only a matter of seconds passed before San's face was pressed upon Alex's once again. As the meat slid down the teen boy's throat, the most unthinkable and unsuspected action happened. Slowly, and without even realizing what he was doing, Alex brought his right hand to the wolf-girls cheek..._

_...and he kissed her._

_San's eyes widened, each one nearly bulging from their sockets. Every muscle in her body felt as though boiling water was flowing through her blood, and her heart began to pound like a war-drum. No more than a day ago when she had first met Alex, her first reaction would have been to pull away and lash at the his face with her nails, pulling his face off as he gurgled on his own blood. But as strange as it may have seemed, something in the depths of the wolf girl's soul begged her to react, to answer this unexpected advance, to throw aside all logic of her wolven heritage, and let her most primal instincts take control. It caused her emotions to explode in her head and her insides to twist over themselves._

_It was only then that San realized that she returned Alex's kiss. All time seemed to slowly draw to a standstill, each second becoming an eternity. Closing her eyes, the young wolf girl pressed deeper into the kiss, caressing the teen boy's cheek with her nose, while her lips sought his own with a longing passion she had never once imagined could exist within her. Before long, Alex's left arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer to himself. As she felt the warmth of her human companion's body against her own, San only seemed to sink deeper and deeper out of reality._

* * *

_"S…S…" was all San could say at that moment, but she spoke out one word, "…. Save…"_

_"Don't worry," Rukia reassured her, "We just need to treat that wound…."_

_"Not me! I'll be fine!" the wolf girl shot out. She finally lifted her head, looking at the blurs, in tear-filled eyes as she cried out, "… Alex! Please… someone… save him…!"_

* * *

_San sighed as she looked to the young lad in the eyes, her expression of pained sadness. However, she didn't shed tears as she spoke to him softly, "Alex, you mean so much to me." she lowered her gaze from him as she finished, "But… but I just can't forgive the humans for what they've done." she then whispered, "If I could, then maybe, I might be able to stay…"_

_"Hey, it's alright," Alex answered as he reached up to her and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. He smiled as he replied, "You've got a big responsibility now being the heir to the Wolf Clan. The forest'll need you now more than ever." he then lit up as he concluded, "You'll live in the forest, and I'll stay in Iron Town for a while, helping them rebuild it." that earned a look of concern from San as the young outlander reassured, "Don't worry, I won't let them chop down anymore trees." he then pulled back his hand as he replied, "Whether it's in the forest, Iron Town, or back in my home, I'll always be near. Isaac will make sure of that; we'll come and visit any time soon, okay?"_

_The Wolf Princess smiled at that gesture, and nodded, "I'd like that." And with that, the Princess Mononoke and her brothers strode off, back into the forest, leaving the outlander, the fire spirit, and the fox-squirrel alone._

* * *

_"Alex, I know you're in there," San pleaded as Alex growled and freed his arms. "Please…. Please, Alex… don't change…. Just stay the way that you were," finally, Alex freed himself as he crashed to the ground on his feet. He then slowly rose up as he stood almost twenty feet away from her. She then let out a sad smile, "Do you remember what you told me? About staying just the way that you are? That there was nothing wrong with just the way you are?" she then sniffed a bit, feeling like she was almost spent with her tears, "Well… now I understand what you meant by that. Because even now… I love you. I love you as a human… and as a half-demon."_

_The growling that came from Alex's throat had finally died down, almost as if San's words had reached him. But then, he slowly turned his attention to the figure walking on the water. The Forest Spirit King, Shisha Gami was halfway making his way to the shore. Then, the half-demon's roar erupted from his throat, and he charged towards the water, going past San. Her eyes nearly went wide with fright, 'No… not again!'_

_"ALEX!" San shouted, turning sharply, and quickly embraced the boy-turned-demon from behind. She wrapped her arms across his chest, and pressed herself on his back as she buried her face in it. Amazingly, this stopped Alex in his tracks, as well as silenced him. "I'm begging you, Alex…" the wolf girl said with a weakened and quivering voice, "I'll do anything; the forest, that gunwoman, we both made you this way…" Even though the armor had covered his whole body, she could still feel the warmth it gave off him. To her, this brought her much joy in knowing that he was still alive. "I don't know how but I'll make it up to you." she cried out to him as she went on, "That's… why… please, I beg of you… " her would started to bleed a little, but even if it was slow, she was weakening due to it. "Even… if you've changed physically…" she started to slip a bit, but allowed her tears to still go as her vision became a bit blurry, "… please let your heart remained unchanged."_

_And then, she slipped from consciousness, and was about to hit the ground. Until someone caught her in his arms. Alex, despite the rage and hatred coursing through his cursed body… he let it go and grabbed on to San. She weakly opened her eyes, and saw Alex; even though his face was armored, she saw it was him… for his left eye showed a glint to it, almost as if he was about to cry. "Alex…?" San asked. His features not even moving… until he brought her closer to him, and buried his face in her shoulder as she buried hers in his chest. "Alex?" San asked, "Are you gonna be okay?"_

_"…" the beast signed for a moment, until an answer came out, "I'm sorry…."_

_The Wolf Girl's eyes went wide with surprise by this turn of events. San then softly and gently cried a little, as she smiled, 'He's back. The old Alex that I knew is back…' she then wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same, as they slightly ignored the madness for the moment, just allowing them to return the warmth they shared from this. A warmth that was similar to when he had rescued her, and to when they had shared their first accidental kiss at this very pool._

* * *

The possessed San's eyes opened wide with surprise at all these memories, flooding back into her mind. This caused her to stop gnawing at his neck altogether as she pulled back slowly. Her open frowning mouth, still dripping with blood, quivered with sadness, as did her eyes. Despite their demonic change, her eyes began to water a little, as Alex spoke out to her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were running? That something like this was affecting you, San?" He scoffed a chuckled as he mumbled, "You're always so damn proud." he then rested his chin on her shoulder as he reminded her, "Remember what I told you: I'll stay with you back in the forest. That promise applies to anywhere we are." he then opened his eyes as they both looked eye to eye, "And I make a new one right now: I will never leave your side. Ever. No matter what's happened to you."

He then looked to her, as he saw tears streaming down her face, in hearing him. The tears began to melt off a little of her mask, as the stream of tears showed her skin appearing from the cracking black ooze film. He then reached from behind as he pulled at the mask on her face, showing her hair and skin, even though her eyes didn't change at all. He then smiled as he asked, "And I'm pretty sure you must've said something else, right?"

"I… I said…" she replied, as she was regaining her mind, soul, and most importantly, her heart as she spoke in a quivering and touched voice, "… that I would never leave yours." she took her claws out of his back, and gently but shakingly embraced him, as she nearly wept out to him, closing her eyes tightly as she whispered, "Because…. I love you…"

Alex closed his eyes at that, ignoring the rilying beast that was still attached to San, or San was still attached to. But as this happened, Alex whispered something, burying his mouth into her shoulder, "…."

San opened her eyes as she asked, a bit startled if she heard him right, "Wha… what did you say, Alex?"

"NOW, ISAAC!" he shouted at the fire wall.

Behind the wall, he, Rukia, and the now arrived Tsume, all had the vine whip by their teeth/hands, and pulled them both out as fast as they could. They tugged the two out of the wall, and past it, as it burnt the tendril that attached San to the beast, severing it as her legs were now freed. The two landed on the ground to the three, as Alex held San, as she began to writhe and gargle out in pain. And just as soon as it was happening, black ooze worms began to form on San's body yet again.

Alex and Rukia saw this as they began to pull and tear them off of her. "Dammit," Alex shot out, and looked to the seizuring San, "I'm not losing you again. Not like this!"

It didn't take long for the warriors to reach both the still-alive and still-entrapped creature, and the strangers who had trapped It. While the rest gazed at the dying monster, one of the warriors took witness to what the only two humans were doing for the possessed girl.

"The lass's been injured!" one of the warriors shouted as he tried to help Alex and Rukia restrain San. He then examined the black ooze worms as they began to grow rapidly, "Goyu!" he called out to a man with a thick, gray mustache, "Go fetch the Oracle!"

"Right," the man replied, and quickly began running down towards the village.

It was nearly five minutes later that Goyu returned with the Oracle riding piggy-back. In her small hand she carried a large bottle of water. "Don't touch her," she shouted, "All of you keep away from her. She's been cursed!"

Kaya followed closely bringing with her a jug of water that the Oracle had given her. When she reached the group she threw herself at the ground beside Alex who was still pinning down San who was convulsing uncontrollably.

"Hold her," Kaya advised as she opened the jug. She looked to Alex as she asked, "Where do you want this poured?"

Alex thought about it carefully as he and Rukia pinned San on her back to the ground, and instructed, "Pour it on her neck, where her collar bone's at." He looked to the Oracle and asked, "Do you have the Wolf God's flesh and blood?"

The dwarfish, old woman nodded, "As the Fire Spirit had asked of me once I heard of the Wolf Princess's peril." She held in her hand clippings of Tsume's fur and a little drop of his blood, "It's not from the original beast, but as he is Moro's child, it should still work." he then looked to the boy and asked, "But I am not with any metal for the band…"

"That's okay," Alex replied, as Kaya poured the water over San's neck and collar bone. Smoke and sizzling noises were sputtered from the black ooze film that covered that part. And as the girl gurgled screams and roared out in pain, the ooze crumpled back. This caused it to peel off… and reveal Kaya's crystal dagger around her neck. He then looked to her and asked, "Will that do?"

The Oracle nodded, and she then began to mix together the blood and fur as she began to chant in the same unknown dialect as before. As she finished chanting, she positioned the hand that held Tsume's flesh and blood, and squeezed it, allowing one drop of the mixture to hit the crystal pendant.

As it did, it glowed brightly as it seeped into the crystal. After that happened, the crystal began to change color, from a near-sapphire blue to a crystal silver white. It then began to flex and melt, becoming malleable and alive as it sprouted out tentacles of its own. They then shot into San's wrist, burying themselves into the flesh. San screamed out in even more pain as her convulsions became more violent, and powerful enough that she threw Rukia off, and she nearly fought back up. Had Alex not grabbed a hold of her, constraining her into a strong but gentle embrace, allowing her some semblance of calm to her, as her convulsions calmed down a bit. As it did, the darkened film body suit started to regress back to the now transformed necklace, as she was returned back into her now tattered clothing she had worn before her transformation.

As the black ooze disappeared, the now white crystal necklace hung around San's neck, forming into a loose necklace that dangled at her collar bone of sorts, with the mixture of red blood crystallizing into a blue gem of sorts. When the feeling of pain began to fade from her body, San's eyes had returned to their normal color, and then she breathed a relieved sigh and fell into a silent coma, right into Alex's arms.

Everyone then heard the roar come from the circle of fire, as they all took witness of the Black Ooze Demon Wolf writhing around, fighting some invisible enemy.

It then roared aloud, giving out one last howl up to the skies, sensing its defeat. As its last roars and final howl faded into the air, its body began to rot away, leaving nothing but a pool of foul smelling black blood.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Hating Myself Again; Your Pain, My Pain**

* * *

**Author's Note: I say this to you all now… nothing in my life has ever had me write anything this sappy.**


	34. Your Pain, My Pain

**Legendary Adventures, Futuristic Saviors**

* * *

**Chapter 32: Hating Myself; Your Pain, My Pain**

* * *

**Moro's Cave**

San lay covered in her furs, fast asleep in her bed of leaves and furs. She stirred lightly, finally awakening from an unknown exhaustion that plagued her. Her eyes opened weakly, as she took notice of the only light source illuminating the outer rim to the entrance of the cave: the moon. The distant chirping of birds in the night slowly alerted the Wolf Princess, as finally her eyes came into focus. She looked around, half-asleep as she saw that she was back in her home.

Finally awake, she slowly lifted herself up upon a sitting position. The furs that blanketed her fell down to her lap, exposing herself; she was wearing her jeans and her underwear still, but not her top, so her bare flesh was expose once again. However, her chest was bandaged up, covering almost all her torso and the right shoulder. She rested her hands on her lap, trying to remember how she had gotten back here. She remembered that she had gone back to Alex's future, staying at his place for the night. The sudden memory of her body next to his, holding her in a comforted embrace, as he spoke to her that he would never leave her, brought a small smile upon her face.

But then… dread hit her like one of the Gun Woman's iron balls into her chest.

She remembered the violent demon transformation, the helplessness of not in control of her actions. And then… how she turned on, attacked, and hurt Alex. She placed a hand on her collar bone, hoping to breathe in some relief, in at least knowing she was still human again. But all that went away, as she felt a smooth metal band around her neck, dangling on like a necklace, with a wolf head-shaped pendant planted gently under her ucipital mapilary. Looking around for something to reflect the image in, she saw a bowl of water, and grabbed it gently, only spilling a little. She then looked into it, and saw her worried face… as well as the silver demon band around her neck.

She dropped the bowl next to her, spilling the contents of the water, and cupped her face, shielding it as she looked down. For a moment, she did nothing but breathe heavily in fright. She finally pulled her hands away, as she whispered to herself in dread, "What have I… what have I become?"

"Isaac, why did you have to eat all the smoked beef" a voice not too far away from the mouth of the cave, shot San's attention forward. There, she saw the silhouette of the one that had saved her, as well as the small fox-squirrel guardian spirit perched on his shoulder. They were arguing as they became more focused instead of just shadows to her, "I made enough for all three of us. To last a whole week. And you ate it all in less than fifteen minutes!"

"I consider that an old-world record," Isaac belched out, and hopped off the boy's shoulder.

"Yeah, well whatever you called it, it's…" the boy stopped as he and Isaac looked forward, seeing a certain someone awake.

There, sitting upward, and looking rather frightened at a certain boy's visage, was San. She slowly brought her hands over her chest, in a absent minded attempt to keep Alex from going in a stupor like he did the first time he saw her nude, but the bandages alone were enough to do the job. So Alex didn't go mad like the first time, and the two now-cursed beings, looked to one another, waiting to say something to each other. Possibly an apology from keeping a secret, an apology from hurting one another, an explanation as to what happened a few days ago. But nothing could be said between the two at this moment, for one was wracking himself with finding an answer, and the other, felt a huge weight on her heart for what had happened to herself, what she did to the one they loved the most, and what she was now.

Fortunately, the young outlander finally broke the silence, and smiled to her, as best he could, "Finally, you're awake now, San. That's good to see." he walked over to where he had laid his backpack at, and continued, "I was worried that you'd stay sleeping; I wouldn't know how to wake you up. How do you feel?"

"G-good, i think" San said trying to convince more herself. Pulling her fur blanket over her chest, she averted her eyes from him, not wanting him to look at her, and asked, "H-How long was I asleep?"

"Almost three weeks now," Alex replied, as he pulled out a small sack of dried meat, and began to chop up a few pieces. "You were pretty out of it, so I had enough time to make a stop in Iron Town. I went and got a few medical supplies, as well as a few ingredients in making a soup for a few nights now." He then grimaced as he faced San, "Though your brothers mentioned that if I ever brought someone over here from Iron Town because i asked for help, they'll eat my head off split down the center." But shook it off as he sat next to her, and gently handed her the bowl, which she slowly accepted, but still kept her face down and away from his gaze.

The two remained quiet to one another, but didn't go unnoticed as Isaac just sat at the mouth of the cave. Finally, after an awkward moment, the little fox-squirrel sighed, and strode away, mumbling, "Boy, talk about awkward…"

Seeing that she wasn't eating at all, Alex decided to encourage her as he insisted, "You really should eat that, San. Believe it or not, it may not look like much, but it's full of vitamins that'll help you heal."

"Aside from what I am now, I'll heal faster. Maybe even more seeing I'm no longer human," San mumbled, but made it loud enough for him to her. Alex didn't look up at her face, but his read of shock at the moment, as well as sadness for her, as she finished, almost even more depressed, "I remember, Alex. I remember everything."

The two were silent for a moment, but didn't make a sound to either one. A deep silence. Alex just stared at her, with a painful expressions. Then he moved. He wrapped his arms around her. San buried her face in his chest, as tears started to roll on her cheeks. "I'm sorry San. I'm really sorry." San allowed her emotions to take on her, as she cryed out all her pain and sorrow.

"We will find a way San" Alex said "We could..."

"How Alex?" San stopped him, burying herself deeper in his chest "Just, how?"

"I'm sorry San. But i don't know" Alex said after a moment of silence " But i know one thing"

"What?" San asked while other tears were watering her eyes

"I will always be at your side, as i promised" At this, San stopped for a moment from crying, but then she started again

"I'm sorry, Alex" San said with a trembling voice "I could have killed you at the park. Maybe... maybe it's better if i just go away and never come back. So i won't..." Alex stopped her placing a finger on her lips.

"Don't say that" He said, placing his right hand on her cheek and rising her face. "Don't even think about that" He locked his eyes in hers, and sadly smiled.

"Alex I can't stay here. I don't want to hurt my brothers and the other. I don't want to hurt you. If something happens to you, i won't be able to forgive myself. I don't want to hurt the one that i love" San said while other tears started to fall.

Alex listened to San, as she explained why she should go away. "You are right. If you stay you could hurt me, like you did at the park" Alex said gaining a painfully look from San "But if you leave..." he started "... you will hurt me even more."

"Why Alex?" San asked confused. "Alex, why did you say that?"

"Because..." Alex started "Because.." his breath becoming heavy and his heart pounding fast.

'Why it's so hard, dammit!' Alex thought 'Come on, you got it so far, tell her about you feeling!' He felt his mouth and throat like a desert, without a single drop of water 'Come on! Tell her!'

"Why Alex?" San encouraged him, while her heart too started to pound faster "Why?"

"Because... I need you San. And because... I..." He couldn't finish to answer. San got closer to him. There were just mere inches separating them. They felt each other's warm breathe on their face. The warm of their embrace. The warm of their body. San was intoxicated of his scent. Alex was stunned by her beauty. The moon, the stars, the birds outside, the presence of Isaac somewhere near the entrance of the cave... everything disappeared like a bad dream. There were only the Time-Traveler and the Wolf-Girl. There were only Alex and San.

She slowly got even closer, as he did. They were almost touching, only a whisper was between them. The time was slowing for them. Their eyes were slowly closing. San brought her left hand on his cheek and gently caressed his skin.

And then, they kissed.

Not as they did at Shisa-gami's pool. That was accidentally. Now they were kissing with such passion and love that the first time was like at a friend's kiss on a cheek compared to it.

They rolled on one side, as San found herself on Alex, but she didn't care. Her lips were searching for Alex's with such a passion and love, his brain unable to think straight, her heart nearly exploding for what it couldn't keep inside her: love... Alex, on the other hand, was feeling like melting. It was like if he were on fire, burning alive, grateful that he hadn't to say another uneasy word. When they rolled again, he kept San from hitting the ground to hard, seeing that she was injured, and started to kiss her slowly descending... her mouth... her chin... her right side of the neck... her front side of the neck... near the silver daemon band.

And it blinked...

Alex saw this and stopped for a second. "What is it, Alex?" The two were heavily breathing for what happened. "What happened?" she asked again.

"We are putting it too far, San" Alex finally said, avoiding to talk about the demon band. "And you should recover some strength." Alex finished as he gently lifted San and leaned her in the leafs-and-fur-bed. He smiled at her, while caressing he soft cheek. "And you should eat something as well" he took the bowl once again and gave it to her.

"I will go to Iron-Town to take some more beef. I will return tomorrow. Just rest a bit" he then kissed her forehead and slowly rose up.

"This time take an extra portion for me, boy" Isaac said appearing from nowhere. "The smoked beef you made last time was barely enough to fill my stomach"

"You little fuzz ball. It was an entire bag!" Alex said chuckling a little. "But i think it won't be a problem"

Isaac started to run in a little circle, happy about the extra amount of smoked beef that the boy promised "Alex, get ready for a new record" Isaac said as he stopped. Alex sighted and slowly shook his head with a smile on his face "You will never change Isaac, won't you?". Then he looked to San, and his smile went bigger "Goodnight, San" and then he started to walk away.

"Alex" San called out, causing the boy to stop. "Thank you" she finished when the young turned to face her. "You are welcome, San" then he continued to walk away, heading for Iron-Town.

Once he left, San raised herself in a sitting position and set the bowl down at her side, not feeling hungry at the moment, not at all. She groaned a little, feeling her head hammering. 'I wonder why you stopped' San thought 'Maybe...'

"That boy is totally stupid" Isaac said earning a questioning look from San "When you fainted out at the Amishi' village he was so much worried for you that forced us to carry you here in just a week..."

"A week?" San asked "But me and Tsume took two weeks following you" She was surprised by Alex's concern. "As i said" Isaac continued "He forced us to run like crazy. My paws felt like they were on fire" He said remembering how much tired he was after running day and night without break. When we arrived here, in the morning, he left us here saying he would have been back soon. I wasn't sure about that. In fact he reappeared in the evening with two bag filled of food and a small satchel tied at his waist full of medical herbs. I didn't ask how you knew about them, but i asked where he found them. He didn't give me a single answer."

Isaac paused for a moment, and then he continue "He never slept at all in these two weeks" San looked at him with a concerned look. "He was by our side the whole time. He never left. Every day he stood here looking at you resting, hoping that you would awake at any moment. Every night he prepared a medicine with the medical herbs. He let it cool down a bit, then he took you on a sitting position from behind, but you were unconscious, so you were laying on him. Then he slowly begun to pour the medicine in your mouth, making sure you would drink all of it. As I saw this... day after day... night after night... one time, two times, three... I started to think that he was very scared for what happened. He thought that he lost you."

San was stunned and confused by all this. 'Alex made... He made all this... for me?' A little smile was appearing on her face. Seeing this, Isaac smiled too. "Yeah, he did all this just for you. He wanted you to recover as fast as possible. You really mean a lot for him" Isaac started to walk towards the outdoor "You should do as he asked. Eat something and rest a little. I will stay out for while." Isaac finished.

"Thank you Isaac." San said nodding while the fox-squirrel went out of sight. She then touched gently and slowly her lips 'That was incredible' San thought as she tried to figure out what happened just minutes ago. 'And what Alex did for me...' She brought her fingers on her thinking on what Isaac said to her. But then she found the demon band. It was cold like ice.

'What will happen to me?' She asked saddened 'What will happen to Alex if I...' She brought her knees up, and rested her head on them, burying her face in them, as she silently started to cry again.

* * *

**The Following Day  
In Iron Town  
**  
Alex walked through the village square, after shopping for some supplies. He was in depth thought about San. Her fears were hammering painfully. 'Maybe it's better if i go away...' he thought 'Why did she say that? I know she's worried about hurting me...' he continued remembering what happened at the park three weeks before, in the park. He brought an hand to his shoulder, remembering the pain as well. 'But this isn't a good reason to decide...' He was suddenly brought back on earth by a hand placed on his shoulder. "Whoa!" he nearly jumped.

"Hey, Alex, it's almost half an hour; I'm calling you!" Someone said.

As he saw who placed the hand on his shoulder, he sighed "Oh, it's you. Hi Toki" Toki was chuckling a little for what happened "You know, if we were still at war and i was an enemy, you would have been death by now. You are quite open for..."

"I'm quite open for an attack, I know." Alex interrupted "San said this already two times to me"

Seeing his worried face, Toki was a bit confused "What happened? Is she still unconscious?"

"No..." Alex answered lowering his gaze "She woke up but... I never saw her that... well, I really don't know a better way to say it but… weak," He said hesitantly. "And to top it all, I don't know how to help her" He said balling up his fist

"Hey, you can't say that you don't know how to help her" Toki said with a look of compassion and pity "You passed two entire weeks at her side, never leaving her, almost never going to sleep. You took care of her injuries and helped her taking the medicine" Toki raised Alex look with a finger under his chin "This is more than just help her." Toki ended

Alex smiled at what Toki said to him. She was right and he knew it. But still, he was trying really hard to convince himself about it. "You're right Toki." Alex said "But i can't stop thinking to the demon band. I just want that she wasn't hit by the curse. I don't even know how much time is left before..." He couldn't go on, as a little tear start to fell from his right eye. "I will do everything i can to save her!" He then looked right in Toki's eyes "Everything"

Toki nodded, seeing the fire of determination burning in Alex's eyes "Go then. I think that she will be already awake and I think you want to stay next to her as much as you can" She ended smiling.

* * *

**Later On  
**  
Alex then started to run towards the cave, thanking Toki for what she said waving an hand. She was right and he knew it. But every time he tried to put aside the worries for the demon band and for San's health, something in his head hammered hard, causing him an headache.

"San, wait for me" Alex said running like a mad out of Iron-Town. He was like a rocket, avoiding the trees, jumping over rivers and rocks "I'm coming for you."

* * *

**Back in the Cave  
**  
When Alex stepped in, the first thing he saw was the chaos in the cave: the fire was extinguished, the bowls where everywhere and his bag was a thorn in some parts. But what took away his breath was the missing of a certain person: San. She was missing.

"Oh god." Alex said "What happened here?" He then went outside the cave "SAAAAAAN!" he shouted out "ISAAAAAC! WHERE ARE YOU? SAAAAN!" a strange noise coming from the top of the cave got his attention.

"Oh my... that hurt a lot!" Isaac said while returning on his feet. When Alex saw that he was in his transformed state, he started to worry more than before "Isaac, what happened there? Why are you in your transformed state? Where is San?"

Isaac then groaned a little "You certainly do a lot of questions, you know?" he tried to take some steps, but he just regained conscious so it was a little unsure "I don't know where she is, but the answer to both you first and second questions it's very simple: San transformed again"

Alex felt like someone took away the world under his feet "She... What? I hope this is a joke Isaac... She can't transform now!" Alex felt so weak.

"I'm sorry Alex, but i think that what happened inside the cave is proof enough that's unfortunately it's not a joke" Isaac jumped off the cliff, but he lost his balance and crushed on his side "I still hadn't recovered any strength in my paws, hadn't I?" He smirked, trying to defuse the situation.

Alex helped him to rise up, but his mind were far from the cave: he was thinking about San, about her transformation. He knew that she was strong, but she couldn't face the problem alone. He got helped by Kaya, by the Wise-Woman, by Toki and Rukia, by Someisa and San herself... But the Spirit King is no more, Toki and other in Iron-town are still having hard time to accept the wolves, Rukia is nowhere to be seen.

And if San ran away from him now...

"Hey! Watch where you put your hands, boy! That cut seriously hurt, you know?" Isaac said bringing him back to the cave "It's better if you don't move" Alex said trying to focus on his injured friend "The wound is bleeding a lot. I should bandage it up."

But when Alex was about to reach his medical supplies, a blood-chilling howling cry filled the air. It was coming from Shisha-gami's pool.

Alex looked at Isaac knowing well that it was San. But it couldn't leave him now.

"You should go Alex," Isaac said earning a concerned look for Alex.

"But your wound..." Alex started

"I'll go to Iron-Town. Don't worry, Toki'll help me" Isaac said interrupting him "Just go and help San"

"Isaac..." Alex again tried to protest

"I SAID GO AND HELP SAN!" Isaac said with a bit of anger in his voice. Alex was a bit confused by this, but finally avoided to protest.

"Ok. I will chase San. But when i return, i will treat your wound," Alex said rising up "Ask Toki to clean and bandage it up, so it won't infect and bleed again. I'll do the rest" And with that he started to run towards the pool, while beginning the transformation.

"Just be careful!" Isaac cried out "She is faster than what you think!"

"I don't think it will be a problem" Alex answered while getting out of sight. Isaac stared at the spot where he disappeared in the forest.

"I'm sorry, Alex. But i think it will be a serious problem" And then he hesitantly began his way to Iron-Town.

* * *

**Back to Alex  
**  
Another blood-chilling howling cry filled the air and Alex, still unsure on what to do, started to run even faster than before. He was like a blur for the speed he reached. However, as his mind was far from his body, he didn't see a root on the ground and he fell on the ground, rolling furiously onward and getting some minor cut from the rocks.

"Oooh" Alex mumbled "I should pay more attention. Fortunately i didn't hit a tree: i was running so fast that I don't think I would have survived it" Alex said, while scanning the area to find the way to the pool "Here we go again" He said, rushing again hoping to find a way to help his loved San.

* * *

**Pool of Shisha-Gami**

When Alex reached the pool, he was furious with himself. "Damn it! How could I lose the track? A track of destruction! Not a deer's track or a rabbit one! A track of destruction!" he shouted out. "At least i have a little more time to think on what to do when i will find San... There must be a way to help her... Maybe i can..."

A growl behind made his heart to stop for a moment. He slowly turned around just to find himself face to face with the transformed San.

Her whole body, from toe to chin was covered in skin tight black ooze film. Both her shins and knees were covered in silver armor, with her feet had silver toe claws and a think piece of metal going down vertically on her heel. She had a bikini piece with a white shawl of fur around her waist, with two outer oval shaped thigh guards. Her breasts had only 90 degree angle pieces of armor covering the lower half of her boobs, with her left shoulder covered in a rectangular guard, her right bicep had a silver band there. The pendant had formed into a prism colored gem with a neck guard covering it. Her forearms had forearm armor guards with three blade ridges there, and her hands had hand guards with four clawed knuckle guards, with her finger tips with armored claws. Her hair became longer touching her shoulders but ended at the middle of her shoulder blades, and her eyes turned black with silver irises. And her mask resembled the one she wore, but without the mouth part, exposing her mouth covered in black ooze film. On her back was a small cape of white fur that ended at her butt, much like she had when she wasn't transformed.

At this moment, if he wasn't terrified, Alex would have immediately all over again, fall in love with the Princess's intoxicating beauty and aura. But at the moment, he had to reach back out to her, like she did with him oh so long ago.

"Uh... Eh... hey there, San" The wolf angry howled stopping him from saying another word.

"Alex…" San said with a deep demonic voice, "You shouldn't be here! I can hurt you! Run away!"

Alex was confused by this "Not without you, San!" The wolf howled again, but this time it was an howl full of pain "San, I can't come back without you!" The beast slowly stepped back, as if she has been hit by something in her chest.

"San, I need you" Alex pressed on, "I love you," he whispered. The beast howled in pain again. But this time, it charged forward, trying to kill Alex. He jumped away from his path, avoiding it for mere inches, while the beast crushed against a tree.

'Ok... I made something wrong,' Alex thought rising on his feet. 'She lost control again, but how can I stop her? She's gonna destroy the forest!' Alex then turned to face San, but she was nowhere to be seen... there was only the cracked tree.

'Where the hell...' A terrible hit on his face brought him back from his train of thoughts, while the force of the impact sent him flying against another tree, almost taking it down.

"Woah, what was that? I couldn't even see it!" he said rubbing his right cheek. When he rose up, he started to look around trying to find San, but as before she was nowhere to be seen. But just to make sure he would survive the next attack, he allowed his armor to encase his body, transforming him into his Half-Demon form. And again he was sent flying away by a hit on his chest. "Ok... It wasn't my imagination then" he said trying to rose up again "Isaac was right: she is faster than what a thought. That little fuzzy-ball! He could say that she moves at light speed! If I survive this whole thing, I will kill him!"

Alex then closed his eyes and focused on the surrounding area. Using Someisa's power, he could feel everything in a small area: the rocks... the grass... the water...the trees searching for water with their roots... and San moving at incredible speed.

'Here you are' he thought preparing himself "Is that the best you can do?" he shouted without opening his eyes. San stopped moving for a moment, crouched on her knees like an animalistic predator, sizing up on her prey. It was like if she was thinking on Alex's words. Then she started to run even faster than before.

'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea,' he raised up his fists just in time to parry San's attack to his throat. "San" he whispered slowly opening his eyes, "Even if you are like this... Even if you have a demon inside you... You can't hurt me. Your heart would never permit it. It's stronger than what you think," He said, slowly getting closer. "San, please..." Alex embraced her "Don't change. You never gave up with me, and I won't with you".

San's demonic form started to quiver a bit, seeing that its prey didn't try to escape or to fight "As i said before, in the cave..." Alex started getting her attention "...I can't live without you..." A tiny tear formed on San's left eye "...Because i love you".

San's eyes went wide, as flash of memories passed through her mind.

Memories about their first meeting... Memories about iron town, when he saved her... Memories about the forest, when bandaged her wounds... Memories about his reaction seeing her chest naked... Memories about Takemaru stabbing him from behind... Memories about their first accidental kiss at the pool and the feelings that took over her... Memories about their first night in the cave... Memories about Alex's family and his world...

She tried to fight the pain, but something inside her was burning like never before. And for a moment, she could see her mother smiling at her. San started to fell weak and her legs could no longer keep her up. She let herself fell against Alex, as her heart started to pound slowly...

"San?" Alex called out worried "San, are you alright?" A soft moan calmed him down. "You're pretty tired, aren't you?" Alex joked. "You need to rest"

"I can still bite your head off," San said weakly. Her facial mask retracted back, exposing her face, as her face remained the same, though with two strands of the black ooze formed two crescent moon marks on her cheeks. "I'm sorry Alex. I'm sorry for everything."

"Don't worry, San. It's alright now. I'm here."

"I could have kill you Alex. That thing inside me... it found a weak spot where it could kill you!" San said, while tears broke through the film of the ooze, and rolled down her cheek.

"It's not your fault, San. You couldn't control yourself. Believe me, I have the experience on that matter."

"What can I do, Alex," she asked, almost pleading for an answer from him. "What can I do?"

"I don't know, San. And I'm sorry about this. But we will find a way. Together. Meanwhile..." Alex lifted her up, letting her rest in his arms while her head lay on his heart "... You should rest. You're still bed-ridden until further notice. You need to recover your strength."

"I'm stronger... than... what... you... think" San weakly protested. How ewer, the slow pounding of Alex's heart made her fell asleep just a moment later.

"You stubborn princess... You need to rest now," Alex said while San's curse began to withdraw in her wolf-pendant, showing again San's slender body and beautiful face. 'She still has her jeans on and her wounds are still bandaged' Alex thought smirking, but innerly sighed in relief, 'I don't know if she'd tease me again like before. Not sure how I'd walk around living like that again.'

Then he laid San carefully on the grass and took off his jacket, wrapping it around San's chest. Somehow, San let out a sigh of relief when the warmth of Alex's jacket caressed her skin. Alex stood here for a moment, contemplating the sleeping beauty, and then she lifted her up as before and started his way towards the cave.

"San?" Alex called out hesitantly "I think that the time as come"

"Time for what?" San asked concerned

"Time to search the other spirit kings and gather their essences," Alex said final. "It's up to us for now."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Evil in the Mountains; Fire and Rock in Shadows**


	35. LAFS facts Hanyos

For those of you who are waiting for an update, I thought I'd might give you guys a little tutorial on the Half Demon or Hanyō you'll read on in the stories.

**Hanyō** (半妖, literally translated as _Half-Apparition_) is a mix between a Human and a Youkai.

There are three types of Hanyō. One is born when one of the parents is a Yōkai who is often the father, and one a Human who is typically the mother. The other is a human with an unfulfilled desire who merged with many demons. The Third is a human who has been cursed/infected by a Demon's power. A Hanyō typically possess the ability to become a Youkai if under a considerable amount of pain, suffering, or loss, or with the power of the Spirit Kings.

The 'yō' is derived from Yōkai and 'han' comes from the Japanese word for half, hanbun.

The Hanyō found in LAFS are more symbiotic than demonic, in more ways than one. Hanyō biology is a bit conflicted between different host bodies, but the seemingly undisputed facts is that they amplify the physical strength, agility, and healing of their hosts, are vulnerable to holy artifacts, rituals done by priests, and fire, reproduce asexually, and seemingly grow stronger with each ingestation of other demon essence. Some Hanyō also have an amazing camouflage ability, and it seems they can absorb the abilities of previous hosts (having bonded with Alex, he's enabled San with her own to control hers at will later on. And give Makie whip-like abilities), they are empathic, and usually drawn towards negative emotions, and feed heavily on the chemical produced by the brain phenethylamine, the drain of phenethylamine is the very thing that leads only a select few of the hosts of the Hanyo armor to become violent and mentally unstable, and is the largest drawback to being the host of one.

While a Hanyō can never be as strong as the demonic parent without becoming a full Yōkai, most Hanyō seem to be powerful enough to not only deal with any human hostilities, but also to easily dispatch most Yōkai if their will and aggression is very strong. It seems as if the only demons that have Hanyō spawn are the Yōkai powerful enough that even diluting their power with Human blood would still leave their children better off than the majority of demons. Alex is the prime example of the first.

But also, Hanyo's armor are strong enough to deflect swords and knives, as well as arrows. Though with a power strong enough, their armor begins to crack, and need time to regenerate. The level of how fast their regeneration is depends on how strong they are.

Hanyo also appear to have separate classes: Speed, Strength, Power, Stealth, and Other

Speed are the fastest of the Hanyo. They are more agile and faster, enabling them to outrun and outmaneuver their opponents, finishing them off with speed.

Strength are the most powerful. Some are cabable of defeating armies with strength rivaling that of Gods. Their armor are also more durable.

Power are a mixture of Speed and Strength, and are a rare breed indeed. Utilizing both, they can defeat any opponent at all.

Stealth are the more covert, as they are more assassins than warriors.

Others, are a mystery, as they are not demons, but rather a Hanyo who is more spirit than demon. San is that type.

As people, half-demons are often outcast by their human brethren because of their demon heritage, deeming them monsters while their demon kin rejects them due to their human blood, considering them weak. In effect, half-demons are outcast for belonging to neither race.

Their armor also appears to have the ability to absorb the abilities of other demons or spirits, if they ingest a portion of flesh from their opponent. The act is rather barbaric and cannibalistic, but the results are phenomenal.


End file.
